


Another Universe

by Catz1112



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-01-29
Updated: 2014-02-16
Packaged: 2018-01-10 12:13:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 124,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1159612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Catz1112/pseuds/Catz1112
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Code Geass, a single difference may lead to the greatest changes. The story of the former 17th heir to the throne, the Sixth Princess Lelou vi Britannia. (Starts out a little rough, but I was a new writer when I began this, quality improves with experience!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

I know some are going to be displeased as to what this is, but I'm sorry! The idea popped into my head (And I'm certain someone else has done it, likely on here, but I haven't seen it, and this will be meandering off onto my own path if there is interest in me continuing it anyways) and I simply couldn't get it out, as much as it pained me to do this to one of my favorite characters.

At any rate, I own nothing of value that would bring down a lawsuit on me.

* * *

_That imperious voice, the countless eyes of the onlooking nobles, some viewing with pity, others indifference, and yet a few with glee as they observed the headstrong young Royal finish demolishing the vi Britannia line. Indeed, what more could one expect from the child of Marianne, the common born soldier with a particular ability for piloting a Knightmare Frame. Once feared as a former Rounds, the Empress was no more. Dealt with handily after too many years of besmirching Britannia's royal family with common blood._

_And now, all that had remained was to deal with the two children. The younger was no longer a threat, caught up in the same attack with her mother, now crippled, blind, all but powerless in a nation that thrived upon the Darwinian theory of 'survival of the fittest.' She was at best, a cheap pawn, to be shuffled off to some foreign location as a guarantee to some temporary Britannian treaty._

_The elder though... could be trouble. Age could matter little among the Royals, with proper support from loyal nobles, as well as the fiery drive that had been seen coming from the elder could come out dangerous, unpredictable. That was why the Ashfords had been dealt with so quickly, stripped of land and title, expelled from the Empire. And now, here before them, the elder, without guidance, lost within the whirlwind of emotion of having a mother stolen, and sister crippled, the elder had sealed the fate of the Lamperouges._

_By demanding justice from the Emperor, they were finished, no longer would they have an avenue to the throne, nor likely even any power within the Empire. Everyone but an emotional child knew that demanding something from the Emperor without something of equal or greater value was pointless, and so it was, even in the case of the child that so resembled the Emperor's late favorite. Renouncing one's claim to the throne, when they were only 17_ _th_ _in line, could hardly be seen as something equal to the young royal's demands. The Emperor probably wouldn't have even batted an eye if it were_ Schneizel _threatening renunciation, much less given him whatever he had demanded._

_And so, now they watched, heads turning as the child stormed out of the throne room, tearing off the cravat, so indicative of nobility, or royalty. Few considered the possibility that something would, or even could, run afoul with the loss of one heir. Some, some though, had caught the glint in narrowed violet eyes, seen the promise in them. Those who did shuddered slightly, little did they know that they had witnessed the birth of the greatest threat any one individual had ever become to the Empire._

_The rest, those who had observed just one more audience with the Emperor, or watched with glee as the baseborn bitch's spawn was spurned, all that they saw was the receding figure of the sixth, no, former sixth Princess Lelou before turning their gazes back to the Emperor awaiting the next of the many audiences scheduled for this day._

Rivalz glanced over at the Vice-President in his sidecar, and gulped. He couldn't help it. While he should have long since been used to her, there was just something about her that didn't seem quite right at times. After a year of being in the same class, and now serving together on "Queen Milly's" student council, they'd become friends, at least so he thought. It was a little hard to tell what went through the mind of Lelou Lamperouge. He snorted to himself at that thought. _A little? More like impossible. While it's always fun to be around her, I'm not convinced I've ever seen her actually open up, and show an emotion without making a logical decision as to whether she should show it or not. Well, aside from whenever Milly does something particularly crazy._

Even so, he'd been more than happy to play chauffeur for her the first time she'd asked. He hadn't asked why she'd wanted to go to that particular hotel at such an odd time like during lunch. He'd even kept quiet as she'd led him inside, towards the elevator after giving the doorman a familiar nod and one of those patented almost-smiles. Cardemonde had grown a little nervous as she stopped in front of a room flanked by what could only be a noble's bodyguards, nearly identical goons in suits, jackets bulging with what he assumed was guns.

She hadn't even acknowledged their existence, though she must have been expected, as they didn't so much as twitch when she pulled the door open, nodding for him to follow. He hadn't known what to expect beyond the door, and so he'd been more than a little surprised to look around the room, seeing a few more security goons, and a rather rotund man with a sneer that could only belong to nobility. "You have my praise, _girl._ You have courage to show up to play chess with the 10th ranked master in Area 11. I would have even let you go had you not shown up."

Cardemonde's eyes had widened at that. He knew a little about the chess world, and recognized the noble. He was telling the truth about his rank. There were some bad rumors about him though, the sort that had a tendency to be true, and were crushed with all of the strength that a Baron could bring to bear. He'd been about to tap her on the shoulder, to ask if she knew who she was dealing with, but stopped mid-motion as she responded in a haughty, callous tone. "And you have mine, _Baron_ , for not backing out of an inequitable challenge. A weekend with me if I lose, and a hundred thousand pounds should I win? I only hope that you have the money ready."

Rivalz had all but gaped at her back, who was she, a mere first year to challenge a Baron, and with such high stakes. He had gaped as he watched the Baron nod to one of the goons, as he leered at Lelou in her school uniform. The crazy first-year smiled as the suit opened a small case, filled with pound notes and nodded before turning back to the other student and simply asking, "How long do we have to make it back for the next class?"

He looked at the girl with new eyes, she wasn't simply distant as she had seemed in class. She was insane! Still, he thought a moment on her question. "If we rush on the way back, 20 minutes."

She had given him a smirk at that, one that held a genuine edge of amusement. "I'll ask you to drive safely then."

And then it had begun. While he didn't know much about chess aside from the very basics, he knew that something was off, the noble was rapidly becoming flustered after the first five minutes. Lelou, on the other hand, maintained the same cool detachment that she showed in class. She didn't even stir as the Baron smiled lecherously at her as he seemed to turn the tide, beginning to take piece after piece of hers. And then, at twelve minutes in, he let out a triumphant cackle as he swept up her queen in hand, tossing the black-crowned piece aside. "And soon, you will belong to me for a weekend, just as your queen does. Perhaps then I'll be able to teach those lips of yours to have proper respect for your betters."

Rivalz was worried now, wondering just what he'd have to do to rescue her when she lost. He wasn't about to let a girl be forced to spend time in the 'care' of one with a reputation like the Baron's. Again, he winced as she opened her mouth and made the situation worse, "And perhaps, Baron, you will learn how to show more respect to unknowns after I claim your hundred thousand."

She had begun a furious assault on the Baron's position, returning from an almost hopeless position, or so Rivalz had thought. And then it was over. The Baron's eyes went wide as she called her victory, one simple word, one that only a few in all of Area 11 were able to call before him, and yet here was this commoner student, calling it after she had triumphed over him. He snarled as he rose up, grabbing her wrist from across the table. "Oh, I don't think so. You must have cheated girl, you realize how serious an offense it is if a noble were to bring you up on charges of deceit don't you?"

She tilted her head to the side, one eyebrow raised as she reached into her pocket with the other hand, pulling out her phone, showing it to him, how it had been transmitting for the duration of the match. "Of course, Baron. And I'm sure you realize how poorly it reflects on a noble, and his family to threaten a Britannian citizen, even a commoner, with something like that. Not to mention the fact that a good lawyer could get you on human trafficking charges from what you've said so far. Now give me what you wagered, and let my friend and I leave, and I will have the recording, and its transmission to my lawyer, stopped."

His face had twisted in anger, and Rivalz had thought he would harm her. And just before he stepped closer, the Baron had flung her wrist away, nodding jerkily to the goon with the case, who came over, handing it to the girl before she gave the Baron an arrogant half-curtsy. "Good day, My Lord."

After they had reached the elevator, and punched in the parking floor, he'd turned to her. "Oi, oi, Lelou, don't you think that was a little much? Betting like that with a noble with a reputation like his?"

She'd simply given him a curious look before replying, her voice normal, no longer the cold contempt she'd held for the Baron. "And why not? I planned ahead, expecting the trouble, even if there was no lawyer or recording, and he handed over what he had wagered. I lost nothing but a short time analyzing his personality and doing some digging into his past, and I gained a hundred thousand pounds."

"Well... that may be true, but isn't this sort of underground thing dangerous for a girl?" He'd rubbed at the back of his neck, a little embarrassed at showing such obvious concern; while fearing that she'd just snap at him for it.

Instead, she'd just given him another look, and then smiled. She had a smile that lit up her face, while normally severe, when her lips quirked into that smile, she was almost as enticing as Milly Ashford was the first time he'd seen her. He gulped as she opened the case, pulling out several of the pound notes, handing them over to him. "Then how about next time you come with me again, you can keep an eye on me, and I'll split my winnings with you."

He'd accepted the five thousand pounds that she'd handed him, reluctantly anyways, but that had been more money than he'd ever held at one time, all just for driving her from and back to school. He'd gotten an interest in her though, not of the same type he held for Milly, but one that had led him to befriend her, and continue going with her to all of the shady games that she did. He'd made quite a bit of money being her friend, rarely were the games she went to as high stakes as the first, and in apparent acquiescence to his protective nature of his friends, she no longer bet herself, but rather the finances that she'd earned after each victory. She had yet to lose though, and he was convinced that no one, perhaps short of Viceroy Clovis, the top-ranking player in Area 11, could.

Her victories had earned her something of a reputation in the underground though. And now, practically a year into their friendship, he was getting a little worried for her once again. Rarely was she challenged directly, generally called in as a second for someone else, and recently the stakes for those that she was seconding were getting to be quite high; this most recent game, the one he was driving her back to school from had been for the owner of a restaurant. Driven by a noble into bankruptcy, and then challenged to a game of chess, losing requiring full payment of his debt in money, the land his restaurant stood upon, or in the form of his daughters, and victory earning him forgiveness of his debts, as well as a guarantee that the noble would no longer interfere with his business.

Giving another snort, he turned his gaze from the Vice-President, focusing back on the road. She was odd. At first she'd seemed interested only in making money, but now, she would play for others for practically nothing. Especially if it meant being able to play against a member of the nobility. Though that might be because she was certainly wealthy enough to not need to play for money. By now, she was likely able to pay for university out of her own pocket, and all at once.

As they'd left, he'd only listened with half an ear to the Viceroy's speech, on yet another act of Eleven terrorism. He hadn't worried about it. Such things were common, though usually restrained to the edges of the Britannian settlement of Tokyo, or against Britannians foolish enough to enter the ghettos. He figured that the attacks would slow eventually, though it had been years since the Elevens surrendered. Someday soon, they would grow used to Imperial rule. He hadn't noticed the way that Lelou's eyes had narrowed, nor the tension in her limbs as she listened to her half-brother.

"Your first move, why'd you start with the King?" He asked, genuinely curious. Whenever she put her hands to chess, should the move be available, she opened with the King.

A slender finger flicked a page across, her eyes glued to Hamlet even as her hair fluttered behind from beneath her helmet. "If a King does not lead, how can he expect his subjects to follow?" Her tone was light, almost bored, the usual. Rivalz had learned that it wasn't her trying to be offensive, it was just who she was.

Rivalz smiled at that. "Didn't someone ever tell you that it's not right to answer a question with another question?" He chuckled lightly before his tone turned a little more serious. "About that though, do you want to run a corporation or something after university?"

That question pulled a reaction from her. She turned to look at him, one eyebrow quirked as she studied her partner in crime. "Of course not. A weird dream like that would ruin your life-"

Cut off by a loud honk, she turned back to view a large bulk carrier, about to barrel into them. Rivalz's eyes went wide as he swore, quickly swerving right, even as the transport went left, down an off ramp, before crashing into a construction site. Quickly bringing the bike to a stop on the shoulder he looked over at the dust cloud. "Uh... was that our fault?"

Lelou hopped gracefully out of the sidecar, smoothing her skirt as she went to the edge of the highway, gazing down as the cloud dissipated. "I don't think so, we were doing the speed limit, and they're the ones that almost hit us from behind." Pulling her helmet off she blinked, seeing a weird light appearing over the container. Her eyes narrowed again, as she saw the crowd beginning to form around the site, just looking on, some laughing at what an idiot the driver must be, others saying to call the police. Not a one approached though, none decent enough to check to see if the driver was alright. And so she turned jogging down the off ramp, going up to the truck to find the cab half buried under girders.

Rivalz chuckled as she left, before he began pushing his bike closer to the edge, grumbling to himself. "I know helping is the right thing to do, but I really wish she'd keep that pride of hers in check. We're going to be late for class."

A loud squeal caught his attention, turning again to look down at the crashed truck as it quickly reversed, before speeding onto another road. "Huh... Is that what they call a hit and run?" He looked around, but couldn't spot the familiar beige trimmed in gold over black skirt. "Oi! Lelou!... Aw man, where'd she go?"

"Hey! Are you alright in there?" Lelou called out from the container's ladder, hopeful that the driver was still conscious. The teen twitched as she sensed... something. She felt the truck shudder as gears were changed, the machine pushing backwards. Her eyes went wide letting out a little scream as she plunged forwards into the open container. She winced as she tumbled into an airtight container, before gently getting up, even as the vehicle bounced over something.

"Why isn't there a ladder in here?!" She tensed as she heard the characteristic whine of a hoverjet, and then a commanding, very Britannian voice calling out an order to surrender, followed shortly by the sound of gunfire, and the pattering of something against the container's exterior. Lelou swore as the truck swerved back and forth, flinging her against the odd pressurized container yet again.

Perhaps it was a bit of good fortune though, as a door hissed open, determined steps echoing through. She watched from hiding as a red-headed girl dropped a coat before heading further back into the container. Lelou tensed as the girl yelled something about entering a subway. _This isn't good. It seems these people would be the terrorists we've been hearing so much about from dear brother Clovis. Typical, he never was any good at anything but looking pretty and painting._

Lelou blinked, eyes going wide as she stuck her head out to check on what the terrorist was doing, only to catch sight of the container opening, just before a slash harken flashed out to swat one of the hoverjets out of the sky in a plummeting fireball of twisted metal. _Great, I'm now trapped in the back of a terrorist vehicle._ Looking back to the fallen coat, she noticed a flashing light. Upon further inspection, she pulled out the radio frowning to herself. Again, the truck swerved as holes were punched in the sides of the container, her eyes going wide as one was just inches from her head. Giving a weak chuckle, she spoke quietly, "How simple, just a few inches and I'd be dead, my dreams, ambitions, everything gone in an instant."

And then it darkened, light no longer pouring through the open container top, only a dirty cracked brick roof passing overhead. She swore quietly, knowing that she had to get out of there. If they were in the old subways, the only place they would be going would be one of the ghettoes likely Shinjuku, and that was no place for a Britannian student. _I may hate the idea of army protection, but if I'm careful, and if I give them a terrorist communicator maybe..._

Letting out a sigh, she pulled a hair tie from her wrist, gathering the soft black strands into a hasty ponytail to keep it out of her way. A spark flashed in the container, electricity arcing from wires attached to the capsule. _That_ worried her. At least until she was thrown against the capsule once again, battering an already bruised shoulder with a cry of pain as the carrier comes to a sudden stop. The side began to slide open, and so she darted back further in, hoping to remain out of sight should it be that the terrorists had come for the cargo. Peeking out, and seeing no one coming, she decided to creep further, until she heard something, her head turning to see a figure whipping around with a powerful kick. Arms flashed up instinctively, catching the armored shin on slender forearms, but it was too much too sudden. To her shame, she let out a rather pained cry as she flew, landing heavily on her back. It was all she could do to raise her arms in front of her face and turn it aside as an iron grip took hold of her collar, pulling, lifting her up slightly off the floor as if she were a ragdoll. "W-wait! I'm-"

She twitched as she was cut off by one of the angriest voices she had ever heard. "I can't believe you would use poison gas!"

"I'm not-!"

"Don't lie to me!"

She snarled in fury, her face twisting with anger as she rolled her hips, bringing her leg around with all the strength she could muster, forcing the figure atop her to jump back even so, she grazed the front of his armor. She heard a quiet chuckle of surprise as she rose up, the armored figure only now recognized as a Britannian infantryman, dropped down into a fighting stance as she staggered trying to remain upright. "If there's any gas, it was Britannia that made it! If you don't want there to be more deaths, then you should destroy Britannia!"

She twitched as the infantryman dropped his guard, his hands reaching up to remove the helmet that had concealed his identity. "Lelou, it's me, Suzaku."


	2. Chapter 2

Narrowed violet eyes widened as the now gentle voice identified itself. A quiet gasp escaped as she looked into the eyes of an all too familiar face. A face now overlapped with the images of the young son of the last Japanese Prime Minister, the boy that she had befriended after a rocky start to their relationship mostly thanks to the raw emotions that had come along with being exiled to Japan along with her little sister. A face that she had hoped still belonged to one living, and had long feared wasn't after having not seen it in eight long years. "You... You joined the Britannian Army?"

Suzaku didn't answer, and simply spoke back his own voice trembling slightly. "What about you? Don't tell me you're-"

"What are you saying?! Of course I'm-" She twitched as the capsule flashed, steam hissing as the pressure valves released and unlocked, splitting the sides apart. The next thing Lelou knew, she was being pushed backwards, Suzaku's gas mask pressed tightly to her face as her eyes widened in fear. _If I have the mask-_

Glancing back to the now split container she whispered, more to herself than anything else, "What on earth?"

Suzaku heard her, his head turning, freezing before he released Lelou. Before them was a green haired woman, in full body restraints, collapsed in a puddle of some fluid, right in the middle of the container. "It's not gas?"

Lelou quickly pushed herself out from underneath him, before hurrying over to the bound woman; fingers quickly working at the buckles keeping her face covered. "Gas? What are you talking about Suzaku? Who is this girl?"

Suzaku worked to free her legs, a worried expression on his face as she didn't seem to be conscious. "I- I don't know, we were just told that we were searching for poison gas that had been stolen by terrorists."

The honorary Britannian turned as headlights hit them. Lelou tried to shield her eyes as she watched men pouring out of the vehicle, training weapons on them before an officer stepped out. _The Royal Guard? What are they doing here?_

The thought went unanswered as the sneering voice of the officer reached her. "You damned Eleven monkey, not even an honorary Britannian has the authority to do what you've just done."

Kururugi rushed over, standing before the officer at a semblance of attention. "I was told this was poison gas!"

The officer ignored his words, face twisting in anger, "You have no right to protest, Kururugi."

Lelou sat, arms around the green-haired girl, mind whirling as she tried to think through the situation. _No, this certainly is a poison. Something about this girl will endanger someone high enough to call on the Royal Guard to clean it up, probably even Clovis himself._ Her thoughts cut off as the officer continued, in a gentler voice.

"However, as a reward for your great achievements, I'll be merciful." Pulling a pistol, the ever reliable M2011 .45 ACP, from its holster, he held it out towards Kururugi. "Private Kururugi, use this to execute that terrorist bitch."

Suzaku turned his head back, looking at the face of his old friend. "She's not a terrorist, just a civilian that got caught up in this!"

The officer's cold eyes narrowed dangerously. "You heard me! It's an order, Private. Didn't you swear your loyalty to Britannia?"

Kururugi's face took on a gentle expression. "I did, but... I won't shoot a civilian, especially not her." He looked back to Lelou, a gentle smile forming on his lips. He blinked, noticing the look of horror upon her face.

His head tilted, and she cried out, holding her hand out to him, "Suzaku!" And then he fell. She blinked quickly tears forming in her eyes. _I just found him, to lose him again?_

The officer smirked at the fallen body, the compassionate fool that he'd just pulled the trigger on. As he stepped closer to the two Lelou stood, picking the bound girl up with her. Her face twisting in rage at his following words. "You seem to just be a Britannian student. A pity." Still training his pistol on them he waved with his other hand, calling the men behind him forward. "After you've killed the student, retake the prisoner."

Lelou looked on in horror as several Royal Guards approached with assault rifles trained on her. _Is this the end? I could reveal who I am, but then Nunnally... She'd be used as a pawn again. I can't. I'll just have to die here, so you can be safe._ She closed her eyes tightly, two tears rolling slowly down her cheeks, relaxing as she accepted her fate. The closest guard raised his rifle, taking aim, finger beginning to pull on the trigger. _I'm sorry I lied, it looks like I won't be able to stay with you forever after all. I love you, little sister._

There was a loud bang. Lelou wondered why she didn't feel bullets ripping through her uniform to do the same to her flesh. _Ah, I'm falling. At least they were quick about killing me._ She cried out in pain as she landed hard; her knee scraping against a brick, blood seeping through the numerous tears in her skin, just before a wave of heat washed over her, the light of the fireball that the carrier had become lighting the whole subway section. _The terrorist driver blew the truck up? I'm alive?_ She looked around, noticed that the guards were mostly down, some obviously dead. The prisoner had landed next to her, seeming to come around a little as she groaned. _The container must have directed most of the blast away, otherwise we would be dead, as close as we were. We've got to get out of here._

Lelou hissed in pain as she stood, limping slightly from her injured leg, ignoring the blood seeping into the black sock that rose up to just beneath the wound. She hurriedly unfastened the prisoner's bound arms and lifted her up with a white-clad arm draped over her shoulders. Carelessly dragging her while moving as fast as possible with the load of the rousing girl, and the hindrance of the throbbing pain in her knee.

Soon, the girl seemed to notice the difficulty, and pulled herself free from assistance; staggering slightly before she straightened out, running weakly, but at least running on her own. Lelou nodded, before taking off after her. The derelict subway station trembled as the muffled sounds of explosions reached them despite being fairly deep underground. The prisoner tripped, landing hard before shaking her head as she slowly rose back up. Lelou stopped at the opportunity, panting lightly from the exertion and the adrenaline flowing through her veins. She looked down at her knee, and pulled free her handkerchief. She pulled the hair tie out of her hair before bending down to use it to keep the now bloodstained white cotton in place. "This chaos is all your fault, isn't it? Just what the hell are you?!"

Not getting an answer as the girl slowly picked herself up, Lelou drug her wrist over her eyes, furiously wiping away the tears. _Britannia... has taken so much. And now they take more. They even killed Suzaku!_

She berated herself for wasting time mourning. Violet eyes met golden amber as they both said nothing further, simply resumed the pace until they reached a staircase, leading up back to the surface.

Lelou went first, wincing as she crawled up the stairs, turning back to the prisoner just before they reached the top, whispering quietly after hearing nervous voices above. "Wait here, I'm going to look around."

Just as her head poked up she heard a burst of gunfire, blood splattering over her face as an Eleven in a ragged suit fell clutching his shoulder as he screamed with agony. She froze for just a moment, before ducking back down before the screaming was cut short with another rapid burst of gunfire.

Swearing mentally, she heard the voice of the Royal Guard officer once again. "Well, Sergeant? Anything?"

"No, my lord, just Elevens."

"You're sure? This is the only exit that wasn't blocked off."

A child's cry, choked with fear, caused Lelou to lift her head back up. Only for her eyes to close with inner turmoil as the cry was cut off by a pistol shot. "Your men need to watch their aim, Sergeant. Can't have any little Elevens, or that student, escaping us."

"Yes, my lord, my apologies."

And then, as if all of the bad karma from her entire life were coming back to haunt her at once, Lelou's phone chirped with an incoming call. Her hand flashed to it, hanging up on the caller faster than she would have believed she could have moved, but the damage was done. Boots thundered, and she was wrenched up by a Guard Sergeant and thrown against the bricks of the wall as the prisoner was drug away, two guardsmen holding her back.

She glared at the officer with hate as he spoke condescendingly. "As good a place as any for a terrorist to meet her end. You did well for a student though, as should be expected from a Britannian! This is the end for you though, I'll be sure to let it be known that you were kidnapped and killed. Consider it my reward for evading us as long as you did."

Lelou winced as the officer leveled his gun, taking careful aim. Her eyes opened as she heard a feminine voice crying out. "Don't kill her!"

The voice was promptly silenced with another gunshot. Lelou looked down, finding her jacket unscathed. She ran forwards, catching the green haired girl as she fell, gently kneeling down as she held the obviously dying prisoner, a neat hole in the white strait-jacket over her chest as blood bubbled up through the wound. The girl's hand weakly reached for Lelou's missing, but managed to grab her wrist in and steely grip as she opened her mouth, trying to speak, but only managed to gurgle as blood filled her lung and throat. She shuddered, going still, even though the grip wouldn't release the beige-clad wrist.

 _The grip of the dead._ The former princess realized with the knowledge that she'd soon be joining this girl in death.

"A pity. We were to bring her in alive if we could, but too bad that the damned Elevens had tortured the two of you before executing you as we closed in to rescue you."

Lelou looked up into the officer's cold eyes with righteous fury, so much to say to such a shining example of everything wrong with the Empire, but the words wouldn't come. The only thing on her mind being the two lives now extinguished because of her. _Suzaku, because he wouldn't kill me, and this girl, to take the bullet meant for me. Is this truly the end? Without me having managed a single thing? So easily, everything can turn against me?_

Lelou's eyes went wide as pain tore through her mind, her vision darkening as a voice resounded in her thoughts. It was the voice of the prisoner. _You don't want it to end here, do you? You have a reason to live; if you had power, you could live accomplish your goal? I shall grant you power, in exchange for making my single wish come true. Accept my contract, and while you live in the world of humanity you will live unlike any other human. The power of the King will isolate you, if you are prepared..._

And then something flashed before her eyes, the sight of her father's back. The focus of her hatred for so many years reminding her instantly of what she had sworn. How any price would be paid. _I accept that contract!_

The pain disappeared, the only sensation a burning warmth behind her left eye. She pried her wrist out of the prisoner's grasp, slowly standing as she held a hand over her eye, the best Imperial expression she'd managed to pick up from seeing her father, her older siblings at work gracing her delicate features.

The Guard officer twitched as she slowly rose, the expression on her face forcing him to recall his Royal superiors. Making him hesitate.

"Tell me, how should a Britannian who hates Britannia live?" Her voice simply evoked more images of the royal family. He shook his head quickly.

"What are you, some sort of radical then?" His finger tightened on the trigger, but for some reason, it wouldn't obey. He could not shoot the teen.

"What's wrong? Your opponent is just a student, or have you realized it? The only people that should kill are those prepared for death themselves!" The heat behind her eye redoubled as her power surged forth. Taking on the stance that so many royals used when giving their orders, she flicked her wrist towards the guardsmen. "Lelou vi Britannia commands all of you... Die."

She watched with interest as the guardsmen stepped to attention, shouldering their rifles and drawing their pistols as the officer giggled with an almost sadistic glee. "Yes, Your Highness!"

The quiet flicks of safeties being removed was the only sound that broke the silence before they each put the pistols to their necks. That silence was them abruptly broken again by the combined sounds of gunshots, and the wet splatter of bullets leaving flesh. Lelou blinked, twitching as she looked down at herself, beige jacket now splattered with what she presumed was the officer's blood, given that he was the closest to her upon committing suicide.

Standing, in shock at the scene before her she gazed at the fallen Britannian guardsmen, at the prisoner laying in front of her, the pool of her blood slowly growing. _I've been living a lie since leaving Pendragon. A world that I couldn't change yet. Now, now I have it. Power._ The shocked expression turned to one of a hunter, focused on her prey. _Now Britannia will learn that there are things to fear, like a forgotten princess with a score to settle._

She knelt down next to the prisoner, gently brushing aside a strand of green hair that had fallen over the face locked in a peaceful expression by death. "Why did you give me this power? What did you want from me. There is little I hate more than one who fails to fulfill a contract, and it seems that I am now destined to fail you. Forgive me."

She spun around as an explosion sent a cloud of dust filling the building, gazing at the form of one of the most dreaded weapons found on the modern battlefield. A Knightmare Frame, and a Sutherland at that. They had replaced the old Glasgows that had ripped through the Japanese military and forced a surrender after the Prime Minister had committed suicide.

A mezzo-soprano voice called out from the KMF's broadcast speakers, causing Lelou to raise an eyebrow in curiosity. While women weren't rare amongst Britannia's military, even in active combat roles, the vast majority of pilots still tended to be male.

"What happened here? Why's a Britannian student in the ghetto? Answer me!" The pilot punctuated the command by firing several shots that blasted out large chunks of bricks from the wall, framing Lelou in oversized bullet holes.

Lelou swore mentally, letting one's mind wander in a situation like this was asking for death. She felt for the power she'd used earlier, looking up at the towering war machine. "Leave your machine right now!"

"And just who the hell do you think you are?"

 _So I need direct line of sight, huh..._ She slowly lifted her hands in surrender, putting on an expression that wouldn't look out of place on an arrogant noble youth. "My name is Alexandra Spacer, my father's a duke. I have my ID card in my pocket, please confirm my identity so that I may ask for your protection."

She fought her lips, trying to keep them from quirking in a victorious grin as she heard the hatch open, the pilot descending on the winch. _Not exactly the standard issue pilot suit there, shows off the assets a bit too much._ She kept the thought to herself as the pilot approached, gun in hand.

"Keep your hands in the air, I'll take out your ID."

"That won't be necessary, hand over your Knightmare."

The pilot holstered her pistol, before tossing the teen the activation key. "Here."

Lelou nodded after easily catching the key. "Thank you."

She dashed over to the Sutherland, placing a foot on the mount before tugging to retract the winch, sliding into the seat and looking about, finding the hatch close switch, and flipping it before sliding in the key and powering the machine back up. She quickly disabled the IFF beacon, and praised the creators of the games that she had been drug to arcades to play with Rivalz a time or two. The controls were practically identical to those of the game, allowing her to quickly screech out of the building and set off. _Wait... I still have that terrorist communicator perhaps... perhaps now is the time to strike back at Britannia. I wonder if I can use them._

She pulled the communicator out, switching it back on. Somewhat startled by the sounds of battle chatter. A man yelled out over the sound of explosions and gunfire. "Kallen! Can the Glasgow still move?"

"It's alright, I'll play decoy while you get the people out of here! We have to make sure that no more of the regular people get caught up in this." _Kallen? That was the girl on the truck, who went out against the hoverjets._

"I know that, but we're surrounded! We're cut off from all the escape routes, we can't get the people out!"

Lelou frowned at that. This must be messier than she'd thought. She pulled out her phone, noticing who had called and led to the death of the prisoner. She quickly pressed call, swearing quietly at the ringing. She heard a click, and then the familiar voice of another member of the Student Council. "Lulu! Why'd you hang up on me? And where are you? You missed class for gambling again? You're going to get held back if you keep this-"

Smiling internally at her friend's maternal nature, Lelou interrupted her, "Are you near a TV?"

Shirley looked around, noticing the tablet that one of her swim club members had out, watching an auction channel. "Um, yeah, why?"

"It's important, can you check the news for me?"

"I can, hold on. Could I change the channel for a moment?"

Another voice came through the call, presumably the person with control of the channel. "Sure, what channel?"

"The news, what are we looking for Lulu?"

"Just tell me if there's anything on about Shinjuku."

"No, there's just some bulletins about traffic restrictions around there."

Lelou frowned at that. Typical Britannian move. Cover up the massacre and then report it as an accident, or some sort of terrorist activity at a later time for their benefit. "Is there a reason for the restrictions?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure, they don't say anything special, only that traffic in the area is restricted by order of the government." Shirley paused a moment, preparing her usual spiel. "Hey, I know you're gambling again, you need to stop that. It can be dangerous you know?"

Lelou chuckled at the concern. "Yeah, I know. Before I forget, tell my little sister I'll be late tonight. Bye!" She quickly disconnected the call before Shirley could get another word in edgewise. There would be hell to pay for that, but Shirley would at least let Nunnally and Sayoko know that she was going to be late.

Phone stashed once more, now turned off. She worked quickly at the interface of the Sutherland's sensors, able to see a bird's eye view of the map, the locations of Britannian units highlighted by their IFF codes, and the locations, or at least suspected locations of the resistance fighters. _Since Britannia is trying to keep this quiet, they won't be able to bring in reinforcements, so what I see is all I have to deal with. Even so, I won't be able to break through by myself. And my new power is fairly useless against a Knightmare._

She chuckled as she had a thought. _Well, it looks like I'll be using you terrorists after all. You'll be paying me back in full for dragging me into this mess._ Looking to the tactical map, she found that a team of Britannian's had confirmed the location of the Resistance's Glasgow, as it darted down a street, about to run into an ambush. _I should try to disguise my voice at least._

Lelou coughed before she picked up the resistance radio, working to deepen her voice as much as possible. "Use the train tracks to move over to the west entrance!"

The resistance fighter, Kallen, yelled back. "Who are you? How do you know this code!"

Lelou fired back a verbal volley. "It doesn't matter who I am. Trust me if you want to win, if you want to save the lives of the innocents here!" She watched as the Glasgow closed on the train tracks, holding her breath waiting to see if this Kallen would do as ordered. She allowed herself a smile as the Glasgow abruptly turned, in line with the tracks, heading west. As soon as she saw that, she contacted the other resistance members, ordering them to the tracks.

"Oi! Now what do I do? I've got two Sutherlands on me!"

Lelou watched as the supply train closed on the Glasgow. "Since you trusted me, you get to win. Jump onto the train!" She tensed, now able to see the two Sutherlands closing on the Glasgow with the cameras mounted on her own Knightmare. She took a deep breath as a Sutherland leapt up, aiming for the train to follow as the other brought the train to a stop. _Just like the game, Lelou, hit him with the harkens and knock him away._ The targeting reticle flashed red and she pulled the trigger, launching both of the harkens into the Sutherland and knocking it off the railway.

An angry voice called out from the remaining Sutherland over the Britannian radio. "What's your unit?! The enemy is the one-armed Glasgow!" Lelou would have sworn she'd heard that voice before, somewhere, but she couldn't place it quickly squashed the thought as she brought up her gun and aimed at the source of the voice, blasting armor away from the Sutherland as it reversed, until one shot hit its landspinner, sending it toppling to the ground. The resistance Glasgow had stopped fleeing, and reversed upon seeing the situation. The Sutherland's pilot seemed to not want to carry on the fight when mostly immobile, and ejected safely away.

"Thanks for the help, but how did you get a Sutherland?" The resistance fighter's voice came over the radio, but Lelou had left the location she'd been hiding at the moment the other Sutherland had toppled. She remembered hearing somewhere that once you attacked, you finished and then found a new location. She didn't bother replying either, not until she noticed a group of people running up the tracks to meet the Glasgow.

 _I'd call them civilians but for the weapons on their backs._ She chuckled at that thought before she opened the channel again. "You're the leader?"

The one in the lead, wearing an off-red jacket with black shoulders stopped, pulling out a radio. "Uh, Y-yeah. I am."

Lelou frowned a little at the hesitation she heard in his voice. Shaking her head though, it didn't matter, they'd do well enough, even if only as a distraction. "The cargo of the train is my gift to you, the keys to unlock your victory. If you want to win, to save the people of Shinjuku, use them and follow my orders."

She chuckled as she observed the reactions, the stunned faces that she could see from her new hiding place with a good view of most of Shinjuku. It seemed that numerous of the multi-million pound Sutherlands complete with weapons, ammo, and additional supplies was the perfect gift to get a resistance group. _I'm just glad I didn't have to pay for that gift._ Letting go of the humor quickly, she keyed the radio again. "You, in the Glasgow."

"Yes?"

"Stay with the Glasgow, that unit will be our decoy. Switch out your energy filler if you need to. I'll contact you in 10 minutes with my next instructions."

The former princess sighed as she leaned back in the seat. _This is tough, far harder than when I had to direct servants about in Aries, it's almost like playing chess against Schniezel, if only because these pieces have a mind of their own. I had better have the resolve for this though. A loss here won't mean a pat on the head from Brother, but my death._

* * *

As always, comments, suggestions, criticisms, all welcome. If you want me to stop defiling poor Lelouch this way, by all means, let me know. I'm experimenting with my writing style as well, trying to focus on a single character's viewpoint at any given time, as I know from reading some of my other stuff that I would jump around and it could get quite confusing at times. For now, I see this as sticking pretty closely to the original until there's a need for a change. I'm not sure when, or where that change will be, but it will likely lead to major alterations of the CG storyline. Fair warning though, I don't plan very far ahead, but I do have an end in mind, so we'll get there, but how we will is in flux. To that end! If you want to see something happen a certain way review, comment, send me a note, something... and if there's enough interest I'll see what I can do!

-C1112


	3. Chapter 3

Lithe fingers ran through black silken strands as she sat back up, refocusing on the map as the resistance fighters scrambled to offload the Knightmares in the 10 minutes she'd allowed them. From the sounds of it, they weren't terribly disciplined. Meaningless chatter coming across from at least one of them about not being sure about trusting her. _The lack of discipline, and questioning me is something that will have to be dealt with in the future._

She had passed out code designations for the various fighters, as well as sending out the Glasgow to draw the enemy where she wanted them. The fighters hadn't warmed terribly well to the idea of not using names, but at least they hadn't tried to force the issue.

The seconds ticked by slowly as she watched the Britannian's continuing their slow sweep of Shinjuku, coming ever closer to their location. _That's all the time we've got... At least they seem mostly ready._ Keying the communicator, she called out to the leader. "P-1, can you operate that? It should be similar to what you're used to."

"Who are you? Tell us your name at least."

_Tch. Typical question of a fool in a situation like this. Be happy that I took the trouble of getting you those Sutherlands, much less bothered to do anything more than use you to get out of here._

"I can't do that, what if our signals are being intercepted? Q-1 is on schedule the enemy will be in place in about 20 seconds. Be ready to shoot through the wall that I indicated. They're almost there... Now!"

She smiled as the resistance fighters obeyed, and even promptly, despite the complaints of taking orders from a nameless voice. They were rewarded with the destruction of two Britannian Sutherlands.

_An IFF signal can be your downfall in a situation against insurgents. If these terrorists follow my commands, then all the conditions will be clear. We'll defeat Britannia here, and I'll be able to make it out of this mess alive._

She watched carefully, passing orders to the insurgents just in time for them to deal maximum damage. Britannian Knightmares and armored vehicles being destroyed one after another, sometimes even an entire squad at once. She wondered what the expression on the Britannian commander would be like. _No, I might even know what it's like... I think the enemy is Clovis. I imagine it's similar to the first time we played chess. Something probably didn't sit right with him about being crushed by a girl seven years younger than him. A pity I could never get him to show that expression again._

She blinked as she watched squads keeping up the encirclement of the ghetto moving in, working to surround a central location within the ghetto. The place that she'd been teasing as being a central location of the resistance fighters for several minutes. _An even stupider move than I expected. I'm glad that I put Q-1 underground in the off chance that they took this option._ "Q-1, you're up, mission number 3. Are you ready for them?"

She watched, several squads worth of Knightmares concentrating at the target location of mission number 3. An evil glint flashed in her eyes as they concentrated perfectly, the chatter from her Britannian radio indicating their confusion. "Q-1, now!"

The resistance fighters had followed her commands perfectly, slipping into the underground tunnels before sabotaging the support for the ground above, creating an artificial sinkhole that spread rapidly, swallowing up the majority of the Britannian Knightmares in a roiling cauldron of shattered concrete and twisted steel.

The sudden flashing of disappearing signals on her tactical map brought an almost maniacal laugh from her. "I can do this! Britannia can be defeated!" She twitched as she listened to the chatter from the Britannian radio, trying to tune out the triumphant cheers from the resistance.

"Z-01, launch clearance granted."

 _Z-01? A new Knightmare?_ She hurriedly searched through the limited files aboard her stolen Sutherland and found nothing. _One machine can't derail this operation, we'll deal with it just as we did the others._

She looked back to the layout of the Britannian forces, nodding at their ragged formation. _One more push and they'll fall._

"This is B-group! Enemy sighted!"

 _Ah? Perhaps it's this Z-01. No matter._ "Status?"

"B-Group is down, they all managed to eject, but they took out four units in no time at all!"

"How many are there?"

"Just one! It looks like a new model, it's too fast! We can't stop-!"

She frowned as the report cut off with a scream and static. "Hey, what happened?"

"We're firing on it, but our bullets are just bouncing off some weird glowing shield!"

"Hold position and wait for units to flank it!" She hurriedly passed orders to the other resistance fighters to flank this new unit, but they were all wiped out just as quickly. _Useless! They're being defeated by one enemy with all the resources I've given them!_

One after another, her units fell silent. "Just what the hell is going on?!" Soon even P-1 fell silent. _Is the enemy really just one unit?_

She glanced up from the map as something flew past on the monitor. The HUD indicating the motion as artificial and providing a warning. _Even all the way up here? I thought I was properly hidden._

Her hands flew to the controls just as a white and gold Knightmare popped into view as it charged into the ruined office building towards her. She quickly raised the Sutherland's arms to ward off a heavy blow that had been aimed at the head to disable her. "So you're the one that's been messing with my plans! You're just a damn pilot!" She snarled in fury as she was pushed back by the other machine's performance, and the obvious difference in the pilot's skill to hers.

She cried out as the floor gave way beneath them under the pressure, falling down and landing with a jarring impact several floors below. Wincing as she shook her head, she looked up just in time to see the enemy leaping up to _kick_ her knightmare of all things, sending her flying back once more.

Just before it could finish her though, the Glasgow leapt in, attacking the monstrous Knightmare with its remaining arm. "I'm paying back the favor!"

Lelou focused on righting her unit, and managed to get away while the Glasgow bought her enough time to escape. _That's a lesson I'll have to remember. The most important... and most volatile element in battle is the human one._ She looked back as another warning tone sounded, her eyes going wide as the monster was closing rapidly. She opened fire, sweeping left and right as it dodged her shots easily. Trying again, she aimed at the buildings lining the street, opening fire to shower the enemy with heavy chunks of concrete and masonry. All of which too her dismay were avoided easily, the machine dancing through any open space with the grace of a human being.

"What the hell is that thing?!" She blinked as the enemy unit spun, abandoning the chase, reaching out and catching a falling person before gently setting her down.

 _He saves someone in the middle of battle and abandons dealing with the enemy? No matter. I'll give you the tactical victory here. However..._ She let her thoughts trail off as she pulled on the ejection handles, bracing herself as the cockpit block flew out of the Sutherland with the sudden onset of multiple gees.

Glancing at the map one last time before she left it, she nodded. _Good, I'm close enough. Now I just need to-_ She hid quickly as a Britannian infantryman scrambled down towards the now empty cockpit block. He moved cautiously, looking about for any sign of the terrorist that had been piloting the machine. As he neared it, he checked the block to see if anything had been left behind.

Lelou scrambled back the way she came, wanting to catch him unawares. She winced each time she flexed her wounded knee, but forged ahead anyways, now close enough to the soldier. He turned, his hands grabbing for the rifle he'd put down despite the fact that it was obviously a Britannian student approaching. Calling upon her power she spoke, "You will remove your armor and uniform and then remain in this spot until someone comes looking for you."

The soldier stiffened, but nodded shortly after, quickly removing his gear and dropping it in a pile. She blushed slightly at that, but shook her head, moving towards him as she slipped off her shoes. She groused as she pulled her skirt up to pull on the soldier's trousers. While a little oversized, it wasn't too large, and at least she'd be able to keep her school uniform on beneath it this way. Quickly finishing with the tunic, she zipped it up before pulling on the heavy kevlar and ceramic vest and shoulder pads before pulling her hair up to hide it beneath the helmet, the mask hiding her face from view.

She hoped that it would be a passable disguise, but if not, she could always use her power again to get out of any trouble that she might find. Her heart thundered in her chest as she worked hard to maintain a steady pace as she walked closer to the Britannian command base. She turned her head at the sight of a lab-coated individual yelling back at someone "Pay attention to his operational time! That boy makes an excellent piece of equipment."

 _Almost there..._ She stopped as a sentry raised his rifle, demanding to see her ID. She pulled off the visor and mask showing her face to the sentry. "Excellent, you're as lightly guarded as I planned. Now, I'd like you to let me pass."

She smiled, replacing the mask and visor as the guard lowered his rifle with a salute. She could feel herself calming even as she stepped into the G1 mobile base, none of the few personnel present even batting an eye as she passed.

She stepped onto the bridge, looking at the heads turning towards her. She again removed the mask and visor. "All of you, leave this place and return to your bases."

"What is the meaning of this?!" She looked towards the origin of the complaint, drawing the pistol she had liberated from the Britannian scout along with his uniform.

She smiled as her older brother's subordinates filed out of the bridge as instructed, even as the impeccably dressed la Britannia paled as he stared down the barrel of the pistol, the dot of it's laser directed towards his heart.

"Now, broadcast a ceasefire order. No more fighting is to be done, your troops will treat any wounded Elevens and get them to a hospital if they need it. And the destruction of property will stop."

Clovis swallowed visibly, but quickly pulled a microphone from the throne; switching the channel it was broadcasting to. "Attention all forces! Cease fire at once! In the name of Clovis la Britannia, Third Prince of the Empire and Viceroy of Area 11, you are so ordered. You shall treat any wounded, even Elevens, as if they were Britannian! No more damage is to be done to the infrastructure or buildings! Now, you have your orders! Carry them out!" He switched the microphone off, replacing it before looking back to Lelou. "Is that good enough?"

"Yes, that will do." She smiles before she flips the lights, darkening the bridge almost the only light coming from the various monitors at the operating stations.

"What now, shall I sing for you, perhaps a game of chess?" The tone sarcastic, she smiled to herself, he was growing used to having the gun pointed at him if he could manage even a weak joke.

Letting out a soft laugh, she steps forward. Clovis twitched as he peered into the gloom of the now darkened bridge, staring ahead at the armored figure training a pistol on him. "That sounds rather familiar." She pulled the helmet off, letting her hair spill down her back as she continued stepping closer.

She continued even as he looked questioningly at her for the reply. "Don't you remember? You used to play chess with me. Of course, I always won."

"What?" Clovis leaned closer, trying to view the now revealed face. "How could you have played chess with me before?"

"At Aries Villa."

His eyes narrowed at that, anger creeping into his tone. "Who the hell are you, to speak as if you've been there?!"

She stepped closer, his eyes widening as the pistol in her hand came into obvious view. He froze completely at her words though, the voice now clicking just as her face was revealed, the darkness fading. "It's been a long time, big brother. The eldest daughter of the Late Empress Marianne, and 17th in line to the imperial throne." She brought her left arm up, draping it over her armored breast as she kneeled mockingly. "Lelou vi Britannia, at your service."

"Lelou! But we all thought that you-"

"Died in the invasion? The aftermath of the Japanese surrender? No, I have returned, Your Highness. Returned to change everything."

He was caught in her piercing violet eyes, speechless. She easily walked up the steps towards his throne, pistol steady in hand. And then he found his voice again, as she stood just a few feet from ahead of him. "I- I'm glad to see you alive, Lelou! I was deeply saddened when I heard that you had died during the conquest of Japan. This is excellent, why don't you come back to the homeland with me?"

"You intend to use me as a diplomatic pawn again? It seems that you have forgotten why my sister and I were used in the first place." He winced at her words, his gaze falling slightly as he lost his words once more. "That's right, because my mother was killed. Mother was a Knight of Honor, but she was originally a commoner. Of course the other empresses would feel that she was a slight to their honor. And even though they tried to make it look like the work of terrorists, I know better. You don't know what it was like for a girl to see her mother, her little sister, riddled with bullets on that staircase. It was you people that killed her! You who crippled Nunnally!"

Finally, under the gaze of contempt from his little sister he found himself. "It wasn't me! I swear it! I loved you and Nunnally! And your Mother for giving me two little sisters like you!"

She sneered at his denial. _There is no noble, no royal that wouldn't lie in a situation like this._ "Then tell me what you do know! No one can lie to me with this power! Who killed my mother?!"

Clovis' expression of terror faded, the tension in his body relaxing as he looked up at his little sister, utterly uncaring that a gun was pointed directly at his head. "The Second Prince, Schneizel, and the Second Princess, Cornelia. They know."

"They're the ones who killed my mother?"

Clovis said nothing at that, prompting her to release her power. "That's all you know, huh?"

The Third Prince blinked, his eyes refocusing on the gun. Hands raised defensively he cried out. "It wasn't me! I swear! I wouldn't have done anything to harm your family!"

 _That's all he knows... Not quite what I'd hoped for._ She sighed, lowering the pistol. _I can't get a hold of either of them from here though... Perhaps something more is required._ Just as Clovis began to relax slightly, she pulled the pistol back up, pressing it directly against her half-brother's forehead.

"P-please! Little sister! We may have different mothers, but I'm still your brother!"

"I'm sorry, Brother. I'm afraid you can't change the world without getting your own hands dirty. Good bye." Her gloved finger gently pulled, the pistol bucking slightly as the gunshot echoed through the bridge.

She trembled as she gazed down at her elder brother's corpse, pistol clattering to the deck as she dropped it as if it were radioactive. She looked up, saw the upholstery of the throne splattered with blood and grey matter. Her stomach recoiled at the sight, her conscience now screaming against the action she'd just taken. Begging her to spare the elder brother whose company she had not minded, particularly since he had grown resigned to defeat at chess, the brother whose life she could no longer return. Fighting the urge to vomit she picked up the fallen weapon, holstering it before replacing the helmet and mask, slipping out of a maintenance hatch and walking away from Shinjuku unseen.

_**The next day** _

She let out a scream as her alarm rang the next morning, her eyes wide, body drenched in sweat as she looked around her room. The door opened a moment later, Shinozaki Sayoko looking in with a worried expression. "Is everything alright, Lelou-sama?"

"Y-yes, Sayoko. Just a nightmare it seems." Lelou placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart pounding beneath. "I just need to take a shower, could you wake Nunnally for me? Tell her that I will have breakfast ready for her shortly as an apology for coming home after she went to sleep last night."

"Of course, Lelou-sama." The maid bowed before taking her leave.

Slipping out of bed, Lelou sighed, walking into the bathroom and starting the shower. She pulled her nightgown over her head before dumping it unceremoniously into a laundry basket. She turned to the mirror, placing her hands upon the counter as she looked at herself. She winced as the image of Clovis slumping down with the relaxation of the dead played through her mind. _Get used to it. There will be more where he came from, many more, even if they aren't a brother that you didn't mind._

The gauze wrapped around her knee reminded her of creeping in just four hours earlier. After managing to escape Shinjuku with the Britannian uniform stashed in a battered duffle bag, she'd limped her way to the nearest bus station, hopping through a few different routes to get back to the Academy. The gate guards had raised an eyebrow at her disheveled state, but they'd seen her coming back late at night before, and didn't give her too much trouble for it.

Getting into the Student Council Building had proven a little more difficult. Stealthy entry into the side entrance had been the plan so as to not wake Sayoko or Nunnally, but that plan had gone down in failure as Sayoko had stepped into the hallway just as Lelou had closed the door. "Ah... Good morning, Sayoko."

"You're hurt, Lelou-sama?"

Lelou hadn't been able to get in another word as she was helped to the kitchen with Sayoko briskly pulling out a first aid kit and cleaning her knee and bandaging it properly. Fortunately she hadn't asked what happened, preventing Lelou from having to come up with a plausible lie.

She pulled the bandage off, frowning slightly at the damage to her knee, hopefully there wouldn't be any scarring with the quality of Sayoko's treatment. She drug her fingers through her hair before finishing removing her clothes and stepping into the hot spray.

She hurried through her usual shower routine, knowing that Nunnally would go for a pound of flesh if she were too slow with her apology breakfast. She dashed out of the bathroom with her hair not quite dry as she rushed to pull on her underthings and the fresh uniform that she'd laid out before going to sleep. Dashing off to the kitchen, she hummed quietly to herself as she cooked. The tune a rather somber one that she'd heard long ago while she'd been living in the Kururugi's care.

The door opened just as she was putting the finishing touches to the traditional Eleven breakfast. She chuckled at the accusatory tone coming from the sightless girl in the powered wheelchair as Sayoko gently pushed her up to the table. "Big sister, if you're humming a tune like that after coming back so late, I should probably start giving you a curfew."

"Don't you worry about it, Nunnally. I just had a little business to take care of. Sayoko, would you help me bring this to the table?" She smiled at the middle school girl that was her little sister as she walked over carrying a tray with miso soup, rice, and grilled fish.

The girl turned to face her elder sister, cocking her head as she listened carefully. "Is something wrong with your leg?"

Setting the tray down on the table in front of Nunnally, leaning in to give the girl a quick kiss on the forehead, Lelou spoke gently. "It's nothing, just a scrape, Nunnally." Taking the girl's hand, and placing a spoon in it, she showed where the dishes were located before she sat down in the chair next to her sister as Sayoko placed an identical tray before her. "Thank you, Sayoko."

They ate in a companionable silence, Nunnally clearly just happy to have her sister around. Upon finishing, Lelou carried the trays back to the kitchen, where Sayoko began washing the dishes. The elder Lamperouge returned back to her sister, giving the girl another quick kiss. "I'm afraid I have to leave a little early, a few of the clubs haven't turned in their budgets, and we have to have them finished this afternoon. Milly wants me to back Shirley up while she tries to get the papers from people. Have a good day in class, I'll try harder to be home at a decent time this evening."

Nunnally pouted cutely, but gave her sister her patented cute smile. "Alright, big sister, have a good day."

Walking to the high school portion of the Academy, she ran into Shirley. "Good morning, Lulu!"

"Good morning, Shirley, sorry I'm a little late. I owed Nunnally breakfast for being late last night."

The orange haired girl simply shook her head with a smile. "That's alright, this shouldn't take too long anyways with that special 'Vice-Presidential Glare' that you've managed to build such a reputation for."

"Ah... I'm not sure that's the reputation I've been trying to build." She chuckled quietly as they walked to the few club locations that were on the 'hit list.' _Although I suppose I haven't done much to avoid being cold to most people in the interest of avoiding inspection into my background. Milly and her grandfather have it rough enough sheltering us without us bringing undue attention to ourselves._

Luckily none of the late submitters gave any trouble, most had simply forgotten about it. Others had scrambled to fill them in under the cold violet gaze that balanced the President's mostly lackadaisical personality. Bringing the forms to the student council office, Shirley waved to the members already present. Rivalz and Nina were bent over other copies of the forms they'd spent the morning collecting, while Milly lorded over with a rolled paper scepter.

Lelou sighed, slipping into one of the comfortable chairs, grabbing a stack of the budget forms, quickly scanning for appropriateness and then tapping in numbers and notes onto a tablet that shared the data that everyone was inputting. After several minutes, she felt herself beginning to nod off, fingers slowing on the screen before finally stopping. _Looks like I need to get used to four hour nights more often, or perhaps pick up making coffee every morning._

 _Thump. Whap, whap, whap!_ Lelou blinked, looking up into Milly's face even as she continued to hit her Vice-President with her paper scepter. "Wake up, Lelou! I know you were asleep just now! Your hand wasn't moving!"

Lelou sighed audibly. "So? You don't have to beat me up over it."

Rivalz laughed before piping in. "Consider that it's punishment for ditching me!"

Shirley turned to give Lelou an old-fashioned look. "Yeah, what were you up to yesterday?"

Lelou looked away as she smoothed her hair back into place. "Uh... Nothing much. Just some business I had to take care of."

"That's quite enough of that!" Milly smirked, tapping her whapping paper in hand. "No changing the subject! If we don't review the clubs' activity budgets, we won't have a budget for the Board!"

Nina's subdued voice carried in from her usual table off in the corner. "And if that happens..."

"The Equestrian club will miss their upcoming competition and be pissed off at us!" Rivalz finished with a sarcastic tone. Lelou was puzzled by the looks of horror that suddenly appeared after the smug smirk left his face. She even noticed a slight twitch in Milly's eye. _Something that they do can scare even Queen Milly? There's a story that needs to be investigated for the sake of my sanity._

"R-Rivalz... Can't you take being a student council member more seriously?" Milly's voice returned to a more normal tone as she finished nagging him.

Shirley rose to his defense, subtly. "You could have reminded us about the deadline a day earlier..."

Rivalz's smirk returned as he commented. "Personally, I'd have liked a day later. Then we'd have given up already!"

Knowing the sort of reaction such defeatism would provoke from Milly, Lelou decided to butt in, to spread the heat that would come down on them all a little further. "That's a good idea! Why don't we just put it off?"

"GUTS!"

Lelou winced as her ears were assaulted for her blasphemy. Though every other person present mimicked the action at least.

Rivalz chuckled weakly. "Casting your guts spell again?"

Milly's expression turned playful as she pointed an accusing finger, dragging it over the members of her 'court.' "Yup! Don't you all want to work harder now?"

Lelou smiled innocently as the finger landed on her. "A fake spell like that will never work, Milly."

Shirley, with her ever cheerful tone raised a hand. "I'll pretend that it works on me, Prez!"

Milly nodded as she directed her eyes to Fenette. "Good! A sound body leads to a sound mind, I see."

Shirley smirked, lifting an arm and flexing her bicep, "Well, we do practice a lot in the swim club!"

A naughty smile crept onto the President's face as she murmured. "That's not quite what I meant," she barreled through Shirley's confused look. "You're impressive, I've been checking you out in the girls' bathroom." Her eyes traveled lower, down to Shirley's breasts with a lascivious look. "You're filling out quite nicely on the top and bottom."

Letting out a gasp and covering her breasts with her arms, Shirley turned away with red cheeks. "What are you talking about, you pervert!"

Milly simply laughed before turning her eyes to peer at Lelou. "Of course, my little Lulu has been turning quite beautiful herself... While perhaps not as sizable, the shape that Lulu has to offer would be enough to send me chasing men off with a stick, if only her attitude didn't handle that problem for me."

Another sigh emerged from the violet-eyed teen."I see that I need to replace the locking mechanisms around our section of the building if you've been getting in to see me naked."

"Aw! No fun. Finish the budget and I'll consider not revealing your sizes to the school in the afternoon broadcasts!" That, if nothing else was more than enough to put them to work.

Somehow, they managed to finish before classes began, making Milly pout with not being allowed to spice up the announcements.

Lelou followed a bit behind the other members as they headed to the classroom, not interested in joining in their chatter, mostly complaining about the president being a 'dirty old man' on the inside.

She heard the other students talking about the news though. How poison gas had been released in Shinjuku yesterday. Looking over to Shirley as she turned looking askance at Lelou. "Shinjuku?"

"Yeah, I phoned you about it yesterday. I was wondering why traffic wasn't moving, and what the smoke was."

Her eyes narrowed as one of the students watching the news cried out. "Hey! Look at the footage of the dead Elevens!" While filled with disgust at the fool's interest in death, she was busy wondering to herself about why they were hiding the news about Clovis' death. At that thought, she saw herself there again, hearing her brother's fear-strangled cry, just before she pulled the trigger. She lifted her hand to her mouth, fighting to not retch again. Fortunately, no one saw her struggling to control herself, or noticed how pale she was before she dashed to the girls' bathroom to lose her breakfast.

She sighed, staring at the reflection in the mirror. _Why are they hiding Clovis' death? To guard against chaos? If they do that, when it's finally announced they'll have to come up with a suitable explanation for his death._

Giving the person on the other side of the looking glass a weak smile, she spoke quietly. "I'm more sensitive than I thought... and can afford to be."

She walked slowly back to the classroom, in no hurry since classes hadn't begun yet. Taking in the sight of a knot of girls surrounding another, she wondered if they had a new student.

"Kallen! It's been forever, you're ok now?"

A quiet voice, subdued in a similar fashion to Nina's replied, "Yeah, but I can't strain myself."

 _Kallen?_ Lelou's eyes widened as she remembered the Glasgow's pilot. _So, she didn't just look familiar, she was familiar._ She walked to her seat next to the window, able to see Kallen's back, gazing thoughtfully at her. _I wonder why a Britannian student would join a terrorist group-_

Her thoughts were interrupted as Rivalz leaned over from his seat whispering conspiratorially, "Hey now, Lelou. Don't tell me you play for the other team? I know a few guys that would be crushed if their Ice Princess warmed up to women."

Twitching at the nickname that some amongst the student body had chosen to apply to her, she refrained from commenting on it. "That's hardly it, Rivalz. I'm just thinking that this is a rare event. Kallen hasn't been here since the term began."

"Kallen Stadtfeld. Rumor has it she's pretty sickly. She barely made attendance requirements last year, and seems well on track to have the same problem again this year. Still, her grades are top class. Even better than yours, not that you try. But, she is a daughter of the Stadtfeld family, so she's got wealth, and a lovely gentle disposition, truly a great catch for any sane male out there!" He gave her an evil look. "So, don't go stealing a girl from the guys, there's enough competition without having to compete against someone like you, Lelou."

Lelou simply laughed him off as the teacher entered, quickly beginning their morning classes.

* * *

Ehhhh... Word count is creeping up, this one pushing 800-900 words more than the last chapter... I blame not being able to find a good stopping point. Also, I promise, feverish daily updates are going to stop. And stop hard with the coming week. Classes will keep me plenty busy, but I'll write as much as I can when I get the chance... especially because I'm having quite a bit of fun with this. There may be more writing done tonight, but I guarantee it won't be enough to be another chapter, so barring me cutting class or flipping homework the bird, the next chapter probably won't be seen until Friday.

-C1112


	4. Chapter 4

Lelou begged off Student Council business when some of the girls asked for her to join them for lunch when the morning classes ended. She frowned as they drug Kallen off, removing the opportunity she'd wanted to question her with the assistance of her power. _Leave it to high school students to ruin a plan of action._

Another chance presented itself as she wandered past the courtyard, the frightened screams of a number of girls catching her attention. She was just in time to see Kallen slowly backing away from something. _Excellent, there's even enough privacy that I can speak with her here._

"This pisses me off, having to play a damn invalid."

 _So the sick girl routine_ is _an act._ Keeping her face neutral, she closed on the red-head. _It had to be her._

"C-Can I help you?" Kallen's voice wavered from the aggressive, lively tone she'd been using to complain.

Calling upon her power, Lelou commanded her fellow student. "Answer my questions. Were you the pilot of the Glasgow in Shinjuku yesterday?"

When Kallen simply nodded, Lelou carried on seeking to sate her curiousity. "Why are you a terrorist?"

Kallen's voice was almost lifeless as she was compelled to answer. "Because I'm Japanese. I'm half-Britannian."

"A half-breed?" She was surprised by that, though on close inspection, she could see a few signs of Asian features in the relaxed face. She looked like she might have only had a single grandparent, or even further back than that to have the face she did. "Why go so far?"

"My brother. We were happy living with Mother and Father, until Father was forced to marry a Britannian to satisfy his family. He abandoned us because of Britannia. And my brother was killed fighting Britannia."

Lelou nodded, satisfied, and released her hold on Stadtfeld. Raising an eyebrow as the girl spoke. "Um, did you need something from me?"

Giving her a small smile, "No, sorry to bother you." She turned, slowly walking away before she remembered. Calling upon her power once again Lelou commanded, "Don't speak to anyone about what happened in Shinjuku."

Not missing Kallen's eyes narrowing she frowned. "What do you mean in Shinjuku?" _Why didn't she simply acknowledge the order?_ Her mind was whirring as she tried to think her way out of the situation.

"What makes you mention Shinjuku?"

Lelou focused, insuring that the familiar warmth of her power was there. "Return to the classroom!"

"Only if you answer my question!"

 _It's not working? Why? Wait, with a power like this there must be rules, limitations._ Her mind was coming up blank on what to do, so she stepped back, preparing to run. Then, a voice called out to them. "Hey! Lelou! We're supposed to be in the Lab right now!"

 _Thank you, Rivalz, I owe you for pulling me out of this mess._ "Oh crap! I forgot to set up the experiment equipment!" Rushing off, hopefully without appearing too much like she was running away, she made her way into the doorway Rivalz was calling from.

She hardly noticed Rivalz presence even as he walked next to her. _Damn it. I've said too much, and she is a terrorist, and one who's managed to survive against Britannia. It won't take much for her to at least suspect me._

Throughout the rest of the day, she worked to avoid being caught near Kallen, mind in overdrive as she tried to think a way out when the eventual confrontation occurred. To her shame, even as she ate dinner with Nunnally she only listened with half an ear to her little sister happily praising Sayoko for teaching her origami. The majority of her mental resources were devoted to reviewing the plans she'd made, along with the 'special' orders she'd made at a few tailors and a tinkerer.

"You scared me last night, Big Sister. Even with Shirley telling me that you would be late, I didn't think that you would come back as late as you did." Nunnally's words managed to make her focus, a sad smile forming on her lips.

"I'm sorry, I was just really busy, and had some thinking to do." She cursed herself mentally, lying to her little sister being the one thing she never wanted to do.

Lelou looked on with interest as Nunnally pulled up a paper crane. "They say that if you fold a thousand cranes, your wish will come true. Do you have something you wish for, Lelou?"

"Nothing much. What about you, Nunnally? Do you have something you'd wish for?"

Cocking her head, she pondered the question. She smiled as she came to a decisive answer. "I wish the world was a gentle place."

Lelou smiled, reaching over to pat Nunnally gently on the head. "When you can see again, I'm sure it will be."

"Really?" Her sister's tone was full of all the innocence and naïveté that Lelou had worked so hard to preserve in her, particularly in the aftermath of their mother's death and their subsequent relocation to Japan, particularly the brutal aftermath of the conquest.

"I promise." _That's right. All of the plans that I've made, and this power that I've acquired. I'll destroy this world, and remake it into a place where you and I can be safe. The Ashford's may be able to protect us for now, but will they always be able to? If the Emperor discovered us, he would be able to take us if he wanted. If our identities were revealed, even Rivalz and Shirley would abandon us. In this world we will only be political tools, or prey to the whims of petty, jealous royals or nobles. I_ will _make it. The world where you can live happily._ She placed a hand on her little sister's, savoring the contact.

She cocked her head though, as Nunnally lifted her hand, slipping their pinkies together. "Sayoko taught me that this is how the Japanese make a promise." She smiled before continuing in a little sing song voice. "Cross my heart, hope to die, eat a thousand needles if I lie."

Lelou grinned as Nunally bounced her hand up and down. "That's scary! I might have to eat a thousand needles some day."

"That's why you'd better not be lying, big sister!"

_**The next day** _

_All I gave her was mentioning Shinjuku... She's focusing on me. I should have been more careful._ Lelou berated herself mentally as she sat down after answering a question, catching sight of Kallen's eyes on her through a mirror in her pen case. _I'll have to deal with her soon. How, how is the question._

She stood, briskly packing her books into her bag as class ended. Having decided to go on the offensive, she stepped over to Kallen. "Kallen, would you mind coming with me? I need to talk with you."

Kallen nodded, following just behind as they walked to the Student Council building, stepping inside with some meaningless chatter about it. "We won't be disturbed here?" The red-head's tone turned dangerous just before another familiar voice rang through the reception hall. Shirley lifted something and shouted her victory.

Lelou, watching bemused as Rivalz and Nina appeared into view on the second floor, just before Milly walked in pushing a cart of food. _It seems this wasn't the best place to talk after all._

She looked to Milly, "Um, Prez, what's going on?"

Milly placed a hand on her hip frowning at Lelou. "Didn't you bring Kallen here because you knew? It's because Kallen's now a member of the Student Council!"

All that Lelou heard from the terrorist was, "Huh?"

Milly shook a finger towards Kallen before she began pulling the various dishes from the cart and placing them on the tables that had been set out. "Grandpa asked me to pull her in! It's hard for her to participate in any other clubs with her health issues. Oh! I'm Milly, the President, it's nice to meet you, Kallen!"

The other members hustled down the stairs to greet the bemused Kallen. Lelou's eyes widened as a familiar whir filled the air, Nunnally's chair approaching them. "You're here too, Nunnally?"

Nunnally gave a wave and a smile in the direction of the sound of her older sister's voice. The President looked up and did the introduction for her. "This is Lelou's little sister, Nunnally."

"I'm just in the junior high school though, so I'm not on the student council."

Rivalz laughed at that. "Of course you are! You're an honorary member of the Council!"

Nunnally's smile widened as she bowed in her chair. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Kallen."

Lelou sighed as she saw Rivalz pull out a bottle of champagne, beginning the inevitable struggle between him and the strait-laced Shirley. He gave in rather quickly, passing the bottle to Lelou, who caught it easily, and then blinked before being promptly tackled by Shirley. The cork popped free, soaking Kallen. The look of dismay on everyone's faces apparent, aside from Milly, who had merely observed with a questionable level of sadism at the unfolding disaster.

"Lelou, would you mind showing Kallen to the shower?"

 _That's it. Thank you, Milly. Leave it to students to thrash a plan more than the Britannian army, only to give me an even better one a moment later._ Lelou smiled at the drenched Kallen. "Sure, I'll get you some clothes to change into as well."

Thankfully, Kallen was more focused on being drenched than trying to pull secrets from her on the way to the bathroom. "Go ahead and get started, I'll bring you some of my clothes in shortly. We're pretty similar in size so they should fit, well perhaps aside from the chest. It's only temporary until we get your uniform washed. Now off with it! I'll take it to the others to get it washed."

Lelou smirked as she grabbed the basket that Kallen had discarded everything in and ran it down to Shirley. As she headed to her room she spotted just who she was looking for. "Ah! Sayoko..." She paused feeling her eye heating. "I want you to do something for me."

_**A few minutes later** _

Standing in front of the door to the bathroom with clothes folded in her arms she knocked on the door, entering when Kallen called out to do so.

"Sorry about this, they can be a little too... lively at times. Hopefully these won't be too small for you." Upon seeing the shadow on the curtain, she frowned. Her clothes would definitely be too small for those.

"It's fine, it's only temporary. That was fast though, you went all the way back to the dorm and returned?"

"No, I live here. It would be hard for Nunnally to live in the dorms, so Reuben... Er, the Principal lets us live here." _Now, when will she remember that she was going to interrogate me..._ Her finger was poised on her cell phone, ready to send the message to Sayoko to call. "At any rate, I'll let you finish your shower, and make sure that Milly doesn't try to peek."

"Wait! Could you hand me the pouch on the counter?" Lelou picked it up, a little surprised by the small pink thing's weight. She thought little of it though until she placed it in Kallen's hand as it reached out from behind the curtain. She smirked as the pouch went tumbling with Lelou's hand slapped into a vice-grip.

"Were you in Shinjuku on that day?" Kallen's tone was deadly serious. _Not just yet..._

"What are you talking about?" Lelou's was as innocent as the showering teen's was serious.

"Don't play dumb with me! Why did you mention Shinjuku?"

"Is there something wrong with Shinjuku?" _Now._ Her thumb gently pressed send.

"Don't answer my question with a question, Lelou! Yes or no. Were you in Shinjuku?"

Based on the way Kallen's hand flinched, though didn't release her wrist, she was surprised by the sudden ringing of the room's phone. "We should answer that, or someone will come, probably Milly or Rivalz."

Not waiting for Kallen's reply, she reached around to pick up the phone. "Hello. Ashford Academy Student Council, this is Lelou." She smiled as she heard her own voice, deepened as she had in dealing with the terrorists.

"Ah... Right." Lelou feigned confusion as she held the phone out towards Kallen. "It's for you, he says you'll know him if you talk to him."

 _Indeed you will._ Recalling the recording she'd made and had Sayoko hold up to the phone, she put the 'conversation' together mentally.

"Hello?"

 _I'm glad you're alive and well, Q-1._ She fought to keep the smile off her lips as she heard the sudden gasp from Kallen, knowing that she'd look over to see if she were somehow manipulating this with the suspicions she has.

_The day after tomorrow, 16:00 Hours. The observation deck of the old Tokyo Tower. Come alone._

"Who are you?! How did you arrange that cease-fire?! Don't hang up on me!" _Now now, Kallen. A magician never reveals her secrets. Though you're being rather loose lipped around an 'unknown.' I'll keep that in mind._

 _Now the coup de grâce._ Putting on a curious expression, she looked in at Kallen, whose motions had opened the shower curtain. _Tch. Definitely too big for my clothes._ "What do you mean, cease-fire? Sounds like you have dangerous friends!" She smiled quickly though. "From an internet game? I've played a few, and people can sound pretty dangerous when talking about them!"

"Y-yeah, that's it. Please don't tell anyone that I play games like that... It's embarrassing."

 _Checkmate._ Kallen's grasp loosened, letting Lelou's hand fall back outside of the shower. "What I was saying about Shinjuku though, I know you're not healthy. I- I've seen the footage from it. Don't talk about it, because there are people who would show it to you." She waved back at Kallen before walking out. "I won't tell anyone though, about the games. I'll see you later."

 _That takes care of that problem, now I just need to pick up those orders tomorrow and double check the plan. I know she won't actually come alone. Will the plan survive multiple targets-_ Her thoughts were interrupted as Milly ordered her to explain the student council to Kallen through a text message. She sighed. Appearances had to be maintained though. While she explained the President and her weird tastes, she worked hard to quash the jealous pang that hit her when she saw what Kallen was able to do to her blouse. As they entered the reception hall once more, she raised an eyebrow at the serious expressions on the normally cheery faces of the student council.

"Big sister, it's awful! Prince Clovis is dead!" After asking what happened, she was bombarded with answers, how he was killed, but the press conference continued on screen, the Margrave Jeremiah announcing Clovis' death. Not even Lelou was able to hold back a gasp of surprise as they announced who they had in custody as the suspect for the murder. _It can't be. He's alive?_ Her thoughts were steamrolled by the anchor's angry voice, denouncing the honorary Britannian, Suzaku Kururugi. _You saved me down in the subway... Now it's my turn to save you._

_Two days later_

She'd spent much of the past two days working to reassure Nunnally that Suzaku, their friend would surely be released soon, that he would never have done something like murder Clovis. And then shortly after, she'd gone to work, hurriedly gathering what she'd need. She was unhappy that she was forced to lie to Rivalz and Shirley in regards to where she was going since classes had been canceled in regards to Clovis' death. That only helped her though, allowing her to get to the ruined Tokyo Tower early, leaving a cell phone in the hands of the receptionist with orders to call out for Kallen shortly after the arranged time. Lelou made her way to the train station. One eye glued to the clock. 16:06. Kallen should have the phone, and have been waiting a minute with it. She hit the speed dial on her new phone, this one with a voice modulator to help with the disguise. It rang, any moment now, Kallen would see the caller ID, 'Zero.'

"Hello?"

"Ride the outer tracks of loop line 5, bring your friends." She hung up without another word. _Calm down, damn you._ The butterflies in her stomach obeyed as well as an unruly child.

 _Just one step at a time, just follow the plan, or the contingencies if they manage to screw this up._ She gave a weak laugh at that thought before she darted into the station's restroom. _Now we see if you look as good in this as you did at Milly's cross-dressing festival._ She chuckled as she copied what she had done with the infantryman's uniform. She pulled the purple with gold-trim on over her uniform, not bothering to even remove her shoes. Indeed, she'd had it tailored to where her shoes would fit within those of this outfit, along with raised heels to give her a few extra inches. The shoulders were stiffened rather heavily, broadening her shoulders while working to slim her hips with the illusion. Her chest had been wrapped rather tightly before hand, though the front of the suit had matching stiffening to give the illusion that it was just muscle. She nodded as she looked down at herself while tying the pesky cravat that was such an icon of Britannian nobility and royalty. She smirked as she pulled up the half-mask that would conceal her neck and lower face in case something went wrong. She sighed as she pinned the cloak into place. The raised collar and how it wrapped all the way around her made it a little ridiculous, but it would serve as yet another element of disguise. Combine that with the dramatic motions she had planned, very few would think 'Zero' to be anything more than a masked mad- _man_ , rather than the high school girl that she truly was.

Though, she planned on removing the 'mad' part with sheer success. Lelou finally knelt down, picking up the mask. It too was a bit much, but she didn't mind. The voice modulator in it worked perfectly, so she'd no longer have to strain her own vocal cords. The slide for her left eye worked like a charm as well, though she'd need some practice with the activation of it. The right half had an excellent HUD that matched, and exceeded what Britannian infantry had within their visors. With the invisible camera on the right side of the mask, she'd have access to low-light vision and even thermal imagery, along with the ability to bring up maps and just about anything else she might need at any given moment. Her hair had already been bound up in a tight bun, allowing her to slip the mask on and lock it into place without another second wasted. The train was almost there. As it arrived, she walked easily into the last car.

 _If you look like you belong, you do, no matter how insane an outfit you wear._ She smiled as the train pulled out of the station, walking through the cars as she practiced the slide activation, using her power to pass her orders to the passengers. As she finished, she pulled out her phone, making sure that it was linked to her mask. _Five minutes to the next station. I'm glad I thought to order the station masters to admit no one but Kallen and anyone with her. This wouldn't have gone as well if more people got on._

Standing in the first car, she waited. Taking a deep breath as the train stopped for a minute, and then pressing the call button as the train pulled out once more. It rang once before Kallen answered. "Look to the right, what do you see?"

"Britannia's city. A city built on the sacrifices of the Japanese." While Kallen's tone was calm, Lelou could still hear the searing anger boiling beneath.

"And to the left?"

"Our ruined city, the remnants, the refuse that Britannia disposed of when they could squeeze no more from us."

"I like your answers, now, come to the first car." She hung up once more, quickly checking her stance, spreading her legs a little further before squaring her shoulders back. She stood with her back to the door that they would enter from. The car completely abandoned aside from the operator, who blissfully controlled the train as he should without noticing anything odd as she had commanded.

"Was it you?" She heard the familiar voice after the door hissed open. Other voices that she could recognize, but couldn't put a name, just a code designator for continued, wondering aloud about this being a trap.

Kallen cut them off. "Tell us, you were the one in Shinjuku? That cease-fire was your work?"

Lelou, no, _Zero,_ turned abruptly, startling them with _his_ appearance. Allowing them a moment to take in the masked and cloaked apparition before them. Taking control of the conversation, ignoring their questions, Zero spoke. The voice unnaturally male to the feminine ears beneath the mask. "Well? What were your impressions of this little tour of the settlement?"

Zero ignored their comments, the useless mutterings about not being the one that had saved them, rather a mad joker. "I wanted you to have a true appreciation of it." Arms flung out in the direction of the Britannian Settlement, and the Japanese ghetto, the cloak spreading like wings behind.

P-1 stepped forwards speaking steadily, "Yes, there's a difference between us and the Britannians." _Ohgi was his name. He seems to be a bit more levelheaded than I would have given him credit for._ "A desperate difference, that's why we fight as the resistance!"

"You're wrong though. Terrorism will not defeat Britannia. Terrorism is merely a childish nuisance." Zero's voice washed over them with all the subtlety of a bucket of ice water. None of them reacted well to their actions being called childish.

Zero cut them off. "Do not mistake your enemy! You should not be fighting the Britannian people, but Britannia itself! What you need to do is fight a war! A proper, just war! One that doesn't involve civilians on either side! Make up your minds, take the path of righteousness! The path to _justice_!"

Kallen's eyes narrowed at his tone. "Don't be absurd! It's easy to say something like that! We can't even trust you, who won't even show his face!" Ohgi and the others quickly piped in their agreement, the general consensus demanding that Zero remove the mask.

 _Not unexpected, I suppose it's human nature._ "Very well, I'll show you. Not my face, but rather my power. If I show you that I can make the impossible possible, you'll trust me a little won't you? I'll rescue Kururugi Suzaku." Zero slipped a map out of his sleeve, flinging it at their feet. "Meet me here, 1900 hours this evening."

_**The next day** _

Zero had stood, framed by the setting sun atop a junkpile. "I see, just the two of you?"

Ohgi had apologized, saying that he could convince some more of them with time, but Zero lifted a hand, stopping him. "No, the two of you will do just fine."

"Don't be stupid! Do you know how many we'll be facing? They've even announced the route that they'll be taking Kururugi. They want us to come!" Kallen had burst out, her nerves fraying as she began to doubt that voice that had saved her life.

"Don't worry. I need you to make this, it just needs to look like it on the outside. Leave the rest to me. Be quick though, we only have until tomorrow night."

Lelou recalled the scene from the night before trying to calm herself even as the car, mocked up like Clovis' opulent personal vehicle, sped down the roadway, lined with Britannians. She'd gambled that the Margrave Jeremiah would let them pass, having declared it a certainty to Kallen and Ohgi. _Not that I'd be alive for them to get revenge on me if I'd been wrong. But it seems that I was right, guessing that he liked being the center of attention. Granted, declaring oneself acting consul in the same press conference where you declared Clovis' death, along with how you've captured the criminal that did it, and to top it all off, how you were sending the traitors that let it happen home in disgrace._

She stood as the mock-up came to a halt, hearing the voice of the Margrave demanding that they leave Clovis' transport. Glancing down at her hand, she noticed it trembling slightly as it held the detonator. Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. _Now then Lelou, no, Zero. You are no longer the 17 year old former Princess, you are now Zero. The man who makes the impossible possible. Let's make a miracle._

Zero stepped on the switch that ignited the Britannian flag that had been concealing 'him.' Standing straight and proud, as if she had been born for this very stage, she faced the Margrave who stood outside of his cockpit, pistol in hand. "My name... is Zero." _Now I return the favor to you, Suzaku._

"That's quite enough, Zero." Putting his best aristocratic sneer into the identifier, Gottwald waved the pistol around dramatically. "Your little show is at an end!" Firing a shot into the air as a signal, four Sutherlands dropped from their transports, landing heavily around the car. "Now, first, I will have you remove that mask."

Lifting her hand to the helmet, she makes as if she were about to remove it, but continues the motion, her hand rising high into the air before she snaps her fingers, the bulky rear of the car breaking apart revealing the pressure-container that had held the green-haired woman captive in Shinjuku.

Smiling behind the mask, she focused on Jeremiah's face. Noting the expression of horror that appeared on it. _Yes, Jeremiah. You know this to be a poison gas container._ She didn't so much as twitch as he brought his pistol to bear on her. "So you'll shoot me? I think you know what will happen if you do."

Jeremiah's face twisted into a scowl. "I imagine I do. What are your demands?"

"Nothing much, just a simple exchange. This, and the lives of everyone here, in exchange for Suzaku Kururugi."

"Absurd! He is charged with high treason for the murder of Prince Clovis! I can't hand him over."

"You're mistaken, Jeremiah. He isn't the murderer." She cocked an eyebrow as a blonde man rushed in, a camera upon his shoulder, training it on her. _Excellent, just what I needed._ Staring directly into the lens, she shouted. "The man who killed Clovis was me!" She paused, looking about at the shocked expressions surrounding her. "For a single Eleven, one innocent of the charge you foisted upon him, you'll save the lives of countless of your precious Britannians. I don't think it's such a bad deal."

She didn't even twitch as Jeremiah claimed 'him' to be mad, and how 'he' will pay. She simply looked at the massive barrels of the knightmares' assault rifles rising up to take aim at her. "Are you sure about this? You want the public to know about Orange?" She tapped the roof of the car twice, the signal for Kallen to bring her closer. "If I die, it will all go public. If you don't want that to happen..." She trailed off, the slide hissing open as she summoned the power to order him. "Let us and Kururugi go with all of your might!"

"Fine. Give them the prisoner!"

Lelou was amused at the confused reaction that order pulled from his men. She easily hopped down from the car, and walked towards Suzaku as he walked away from Britannian custody. She winced as she could hear the crackling from the collar when he tried to speak. "I didn't expect them to allow you to speak."

"It's time, Zero. P-1 is moving." Kallen followed behind, hat pulled low, with an additional visor to hide her own identity.

"Understood, Q-1. We'll have to talk later then." Lelou lifted the 'detonator' and pressed the button before anyone could react, a cloud of purple smoke hissing out and covering the area. The last thing she saw was one of the Britannian Knightmares being knocked away by Jeremiah's before they were able to open fire on the three. She quickly grabbed Suzaku's hand, dashing for the edge of the highway, Kallen hot on their heels. Leaping without hesitation, she pulled Suzaku with her, pulling him close before they landed in the net that Ohgi had launched just in time, slowing their descent into the open container on the railway beneath. Kallen pulled a knife, slicing the net away as Lelou struggled to untangle herself from Suzaku, pulling out her phone to dial the number that would trigger the order she'd given the train's engineer. She heard the gunfire, and the firing rockets of a cockpit ejection from Ohgi's direction just before the container closed, and the train sped off. _Hopefully he'll be able to stick to the escape routes I provided him._

The train stopped where she had ordered it to, and they quickly darted out from it, following long abandoned tunnels into the ghettoes to the Resistance base. There they removed Kururugi's collar before Zero pulled him away to speak with him alone in a ruined theater. "It seems they treated you quite roughly. But not you know what they're really like, Private Kururugi. Britannia is rotten. If you want to change the world, you should join me."

She frowned as he looked away, turning back to ask a question of Zero. "Is it... Is it true that you killed Prince Clovis?"

"This is war, it's natural to kill an enemy commander."

"And the 'poison gas', taking those civilians hostage?"

"Just a bluff. I had to have something to exchange for you. This way, no one was killed. A good result, don't you agree?"

"The results, huh? You're one of those 'the end justify the means' types." He sighed ever so slightly, she wasn't even sure that he actually had.

Holding out her hand, she asked once more. "Will you join me? The Britannia you serve so honorably is a worthless nation."

"That may be true, but." He gave a smile that she hadn't seen in years. "But, I can change it into a worthy nation by working from within Britannia itself." _Change it?_

Zero listened intently as he continued, "Because I think that the end is worthless if the means to it are wrong." He began walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" She was glad that the modulator altered her voice, lest the stab of fear and loss leak through to him.

"My court martial begins in an hour. I can make it if I hurry."

"Are you mad?! That 'trial' is just a set up! A whitewash to paint you as guilty!"

"Even so, those are the rules. If I don't go, they will have the excuse, and will begin, to oppress Elevens and honorary Britannians."

"And you will die!" She hated herself as she felt her eyes burning with forming tears.

"I don't care."

"You're being stupid! Wh-" She managed to cut herself off before she said anything incriminating.

"And old friend used to tell me that I was being stupid all of the time." She froze at that, one tear running down her cheek before soaking into the fabric hiding her face. "Sometimes even I wonder if she wasn't right. Call it a personal fault of mine."

Suzaku looked back at Zero, his face full of the stubbornness that he had shown so frequently to her when he was younger. "I want to bring you to justice with me, but you would probably just end up killing me if I tried. So if I'm going to die, I would rather have it be for the sake of Elevens, and honorary Britannians everywhere. Even so... I want to thank you for saving me."

_You damn fool! And what am I supposed to do without you?_


	5. Chapter 5

And then he was gone. Again. The friend she'd feared dead, reunited with, and then had lost once again in the span of mere minutes. And then he was alive, again. Merely in the hands of people determined to judicially murder him. That was no obstacle. That would be handled easily while giving her an opportunity to prove herself to those she would turn into her army, as well as stirring up trouble for the Empire. She'd lost count of the birds downed with the single stone.

He had walked away from her before dropping out of sight by leaping through a hole in the theater's wall. Taking with him the joy in her accomplishment. Not its value, or at least not all of it. But all that she felt now was hole that his death would form in her heart. She couldn't dwell on it though, not now. His loyalty to the Empire would compel him to reveal this location when he arrived at his court martial.

She sighed. It was getting quite late, it was time to get home, lest she get another scolding from Nunnally. She quietly slipped out, not wanting to bother trying to deal with the resistance fighters trying to follow her, or discover her identity before allowing her to leave. Heading quickly to the building that she'd selected earlier to remove Zero's distinctive outfit, she dialed a number.

"Zero! Do you need help in there?"

She smiled at the enthusiasm in the voice. It seems that Kallen had warmed up quite nicely after helping to give Britannia a black eye on live television. "No. Q-1, I'm afraid Kururugi is more loyal than anyone could reasonably expect after the treatment he was given. We have to abandon this location , I'm certain there will be Britannian troops swarming here within the half hour. Keep that phone with you, I will contact you soon." She quickly hung up. She frowned slightly, knowing that she would have to work to keep that habit separate between herself and Zero.

Hurrying out of Zero's outfit, she stuffed it into a gym bag that she had brought along for the occasion. _Now, we hurry home before Nunnally gets too angry._

_**An hour later** _

Lelou drug herself up the steps in the reception hall. All of the adrenaline that had been flooding her system throughout the events of the evening had faded, leaving her an exhausted wreck. She braced herself as she finally reached the door to the dining room, figuring by the light bleeding through the door that Nunnally and Sayoko were within awaiting her return. She considered trying to straighten her posture, but knew that it would have been pointless effort. Stifling a yawn, she pressed the button to open the door. "I'm home."

"Welcome back, Lelou."

Lelou froze, knowing that voice. The voice that had reverberated in her mind before she was given this power. All of the exhaustion was blown away in an instant, her piercing eyes looking to the table, seeing the amber-eyed, green haired woman who had taken a bullet for her. It was all she could do to keep quiet in front of Nunnally as her little sister happily gave her own greeting as her fingers continued to work at folding a crane. "Welcome home, big sister! I was worried that you had been caught up in the uproar that man, Zero caused. And you weren't answering your phone, so..."

She trailed off as Lelou struggled to respond. _She was dead, she can't be here. If there's one thing that I have worked hard to keep secret it's the location of Nunnally, how could she have found this place?_ The elder sister was still coming to terms with the fact that the green-haired woman was sitting at the same table as her Nunnally.

"Big sister? Is something wrong? Miss C.C. even came to visit you. You have an odd friend, only going by her initials." Nunnally giggled at that.

Finally, the gears began to spin once more. "Y-yes, she is rather... Unique. I'm going to borrow her for a bit, Nunnally. We need to catch up." She looked at the clock, noting the time. "And it's about time for you to go to bed anyways. Have Sayoko put you to bed and I'll be in soon to tuck you in."

Putting on her best pouting face, Nunnally protested, only relenting when Lelou commented that she knew of the upcoming round of exams for her.

She grabbed the woman's... no this, C.C.'s wrist, giving her the best glare that experience as being the Vice-President for Milly had trained her in. She wasn't pleased when C.C. gave no reaction save for a small smile as she rose, following as Lelou drug the woman, still wearing the outfit that she'd been shot in, evidenced by the small hole revealing a little pale skin beneath. She tugged hard, causing C.C. to stagger, not quite falling as she was thrown into Lelou's room.

"Oho? You're a little stronger than those skinny arms would lead one to believe." C.C. gave a little laugh as she inspected Lelou.

Lelou's eyes narrowed, anger flaring as the girl inspected her, speaking in such a detached manner as if none of it mattered in the end. She took a deep breath, working to calm herself. "Who are you, no, I suppose I should ask: what are you?"

The woman simply straightened, gazing around the room. "Me? I am simply C.C., and I think that even answers both questions. Do you like your Geass?" Turning her attention back to Lelou, she asked after a moment's silence. "You're dissatisfied with it?"

 _Somehow, she doesn't give the feeling that I'll be able to steer the conversation. Fine then, I'll play along._ "No, I'm rather grateful for it. It has allowed me to advance my schedule for destroying Britannia by about six years thus far. I believe that I might even be underestimating the amount. I'd assumed that I would need another four years before I could begin moving."

C.C. raised an eyebrow at that before she flopped down on Lelou's bed, tugging her boots off. "You think you can destroy the Empire with just your Geass?"

"I was going to do it without this 'Geass.' It is simply a tool that will shorten the time I require to do it."

She blinked as the green-haired girl gave a little laugh, pulling the blankets up to cover herself. "As I expected, this girl is fascinating."

"What do you think you're doing? The military is after you. You can't stay here."

"Not with the General having been shipped off home in chains, I'll be relatively untargeted for at least until whoever the next viceroy is gets here. Good night Lelou!" Lelou groused mentally at the sense of finality that the statement gave off. Deciding to not force the issue, she left, even flipping the light for the woman sleeping in her bed.

Lelou even managed to make the best of the eviction from her own bed, brightening Nunnally's day when rather than just tucking her in, she slipped into bed, gently snuggling with her little sister. Though Nunnally had tried to keep her awake to talk a while, Lelou quickly fell asleep followed shortly after by her sister.

_**The next morning** _

Lelou had returned to her room the next morning to find C.C. up and about wearing one of her school uniforms, with a pizza box laying open upon the bed. Looking about, she saw her credit card laying on the desk and assumed that she'd bought the enigma her breakfast. Not that it mattered really, she'd amassed quite a lot over the course of a year with her gambling.

C.C. had stubbornly refused to answer any question she posed in a meaningful way however, instead pestering Lelou with questions of her own. Lelou sighed as she scanned the net for information on Suzaku's fate, but found nothing yet. "So what was Orange?"

"If you won't answer any questions, why would you assume that I would answer any?"

"If you don't want to answer them you don't have to, just like me." _This woman... is going to drive me crazy. She's like a detached Schneizel! Never allowing me a single victory, even in conversation._

Deciding that even if it was the sort of roundabout maneuvering to get her to answer anyways, she denied the woman the pleasure of having followed the advice. "Orange was just something I made up, to sow confusion amongst their ranks. The more they claim like-mindedness, the easier it is to drive wedges of suspicion between them."

C.C. snorted at that. "The whole world is looking for you. Or should I say because of you, the world is moving? Is this what you wanted to see, Lelou?"

"This is merely a means to the end. The world is destined for greater chaos by the time I'm done with it." She buttoned her jacket as she headed for the door. "Stay here. I'll figure out what to do with you later. Obviously you have my card and can order yourself something for lunch."

She headed to class, spending most of the morning staring out the window. She berated herself as she checked her phone for the fifteenth time this morning for news about Suzaku's fate, and nearly fell out of her chair when she saw the headlines from five minutes before. 'Kururugi acquitted- Zero tried in absentia, sentenced to death.'

 _Normally one wouldn't be so excited about being sentenced to death._ She laughed quietly at that thought, drawing the eyes of Rivalz and a few others in class as the teacher continued his history lecture. She didn't bother enlightening them and simply breathed a sigh of relief gazing out the window once more, but with a happier disposition.

Lelou hid her surprise as Kallen came up to her after the morning classes ended. _I thought I dealt with this issue..._ "Hey, Lelou... do you happen to know the caller ID for who called the other day?" _She's not very subtle. She'll get herself caught being as clumsy as this while being a terrorist._

"The call in the bathroom?" She frowned, feigning thought. "I don't know, it didn't say."

"Ah, I was hoping I could contact them again." _About as subtle as an explosion. You told me you played games with the person. You shouldn't be telling me you don't know how to contact them if they know how to contact you!_

Her thoughts cut off as she saw long green hair strolling down the hallway outside of class, several of the boys in class pointing and whispering to each other. _I told her to stay put!_ "Ah, if that's all you needed, I need to go finish some paperwork. I'll see you later Kallen."

C.C. squawked mildly as Lelou pulled her to the roof. "I thought I told you to stay put. You don't belong here."

"Lelou, if you're that forceful, boys won't like you." She faux-whined while rubbing her wrist. "It's fine, isn't it? I even took the time to make sure I wore your uniform properly! I look like I belong." C.C. walked over to the railing, leaning against it before turning her head back to Lelou. "What's with her?"

"She's doing it again today then?" She walked over to join C.C. just in time to see the first year finish scratching on the brick before turning to leave. "I used my Geass on her to have her mark the wall every day until she graduates."

"Testing its limits, huh?"

"I had better know how this power works, or I'll just end up signing my own death warrant. Now, I'll allow you to stay here for now, so listen to me when I tell you to stay put, or else I'll order you to do what I ask."

C.C. gave a little laugh. "You think the Geass I gave you would work on me?" Giving a little grin, she continued. "Just relax, you and I are accomplices, I won't do anything to endanger us."

"Fine, just be careful. For now, I have to return to class, I will speak further with you this evening."

_**That evening** _

She had hurried through her Student Council duties, managing to return even before dark. With a twinge of guilt, she'd been rather glad that Nunnally seemed to be out with Sayoko. Opening the door to her room, she'd found C.C. back in the prisoner's garb, snacking on what she hoped was the remnants of this morning's pizza rather than a brand new one. "To use this Geass, I need direct line-of-sight, transparent objects aren't a barrier, and the range is approximately 270 meters as long as my voice can be heard, even over a cell phone, to give the order. And perhaps best of all, it seems that the subject has no memory of events shortly before, during, and after the Geass is used."

Lelou sighed as she unbuttoned her jacket, hanging it up before removing the tie and unbuttoning the top two buttons of her collared shirt while continuing to speak. "I think that's likely due to the Geass interfering with the subject's cerebrum, ah, and since it's optical, I can reflect it if."

C.C.'s face showed a little surprise at the amount of information that Lelou had compiled through just a few uses and experiments. Voice somewhat muffled by pizza, she said just as much. "Don't expect me to tell you any more about it though, not as if it seems like you need any help in that regard."

Walking to the window, observing the first sunset she'd been able to find time for in a while, she glanced down at a walkway as Sayoko pushed Nunnally's chair. Nunnally for her part was laughing, bringing a smile to Sayoko's lips. "My enemy controls around a third of the entire world. There's no such thing as being too careful."

C.C. flopped down on Lelou's bed, tilting her head back to look at the inverted former princess as she continued gazing out the window. "I'd understand if you were an Eleven, but it's fairly obvious that you're Britannian, even if you don't have much of an accent when you speak Japanese. Your enemy may be too large to fight with a Geass."

"Is it good to be strong? We've already been over this anyways, I was going to do it even without this power. Look at what Britannia has left the Japanese people miring in. Starvation, disease, filth, corruption, discrimination, war, and terrorism. Those are the fault of the Britannian Empire here. And that they continue to promote actions that breed those ills means that the Japanese rise up. Continuing the same cycle of hatred, performing stupid, useless actions that will only serve to cause more sorrow."

"Oh? That's rather idealistic of you. You almost sound as if you're fighting to give humanity a utopia."

"I'm not that arrogant. What I can do though, is prevent the loss of loved ones through war."

"And just how will you create such a peaceful world?"

"That's simple. When somebody wins, the fighting will end. Now, I need to prepare dinner before Nunnally returns. Stay here for the rest of the evening. I'll even leave my computer on should you get bored."

_**The next morning** _

Lelou was lost in thought, having largely ignored the chatter about the supposed new student that would be joining their class. She'd heard it, of course, the girls largely desiring a cute boy and the boys hoping for a pretty girl. _Typical._ And so she hadn't even turned her head from staring out the window when the student arrived with the teacher, standing in front of the class.

She'd heard gasps, clearly one party had been right in the rumor mill. But she blinked hearing the student's voice. She knew it, and knew it well. Just as she recognized that Japanese accented English that was addressing the class. It was the English that she'd helped make that voice fluent in seven years earlier.

"I'll be joining you all at Ashford Academy starting today, my name is Suzaku Kururugi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

 _Now the facts that the gasps came from both the females and males makes more sense._ She kept her face neutral, not looking at him even as he stepped past her row on his way to an open seat at the back. _Restrain yourself until after class... You've already celebrated that he wasn't executed._

As the bell for morning classes ending rang, Lelou stood, her eyes flicking to Suzaku's and holding until he acknowledged by returning her gaze. She ignored the not-so-quietly-whispered words of the other students, frightened by the honorary Britannian who had been 'falsely' arrested for the murder of Prince Clovis.

She even noticed Rivalz in a rare bout of common sense stopping Shirley from approaching Suzaku. _Better that I take care of this, life under the protection of the Demon Vice-President may not be entirely comfortable, but at least it's better than being ostracized like it seems he will. Plus, it does give me the opportunity to cut loose, and maybe alleviate a little bit of the demon element to my reputation._ Struggling to keep her 'school face' until the right moment, she stopped next to him just as he stood. Meeting his eyes once more, she saw his waver in confusion about how he should approach her.

Answering for him she swung her hand at his cheek the sound of the impact cutting through the chatter and echoing through the classroom before she leapt at him, arms circling around his neck as she stood on the tips of her toes while doing her best to strangle him to death with her hug. Judging by his stiffness, and slow reaction to her action, he was just as shocked by her action as the rest of the class, whose murmuring had gone dead silent as she embraced him, seeming to go even quieter when he gently returned the hug. "Suzaku, you idiot! Why didn't you show yourself sooner than this if you were still alive!"

After taking such a bold action, and announcing to the class that she was obviously quite close with the object of their anxieties, she whispered quickly to him. "Meet me on the roof, we need to talk." After giving her message, she pulled herself away from him red faced with embarrassment before she rushed out of the classroom as if she were trying to escape what she had just done. She caught sight of several of the faces before she dashed into the hall. _If that had been all just an act, I might actually have been amused by those expressions._

She cursed herself for still being red-faced, her heart pounding as the door opened on the roof a minute after she had arrived. The fact that he spoke before she got a chance to didn't help the issue either. "I'm glad that you're alright, Lelou. I was worried that something had happened to you in that mess in Shinjuku."

She gulped, knowing that she must be showing obvious signs of the emotional stress his concern was evoking in her. "That's thanks to you. If you hadn't protected me... Well, I wouldn't be here now."

Suzaku gave his winning smile before he answered. "I was just returning the favor from seven years ago." He twitched as she looked away at those words, her expression falling. "W-What about that woman, the one from the capsule?"

 _I figured you would bring her up eventually. Now I really need to get her out of the school._ "I don't know. We got separated during the fighting, and..." She trailed off weakly. "I couldn't find her and decided that I had best leave before it got worse. Wouldn't you know something more about her? It was the army that did the... cleanup."

He shook his head sadly. "No, it seems like only the Royal Guard knew about her." _He hasn't changed much, aside from being better at expressing the concern he can show, even for a complete stranger._

"Ah, I see." She feigned disappointment, knowing that he would change the subject due to her 'discomfort.'

"What about us?" She blinked at that, her face flushing more than it should have. _Damn it. Keep it together, you can't afford to be a blushing schoolgirl!_ "Can I still call you Lelou?"

She nodded in response. "Yeah, the official records have me listed as dead during the invasion. I go by Lelou Lamperouge now. What happened at your court martial? And how did you end up enrolled in this school?"

His expression brightened at that. "I'm just as surprised by all this, especially finding you here! I had no idea where you were. Someone arranged for a proper investigation after Zero claimed to have killed Prince Clovis. They also said that a 17 year old should be in school, even if they are a soldier, so here I am."

Lelou smiled at that. "It seems that you will have some trouble with the other students here though... Hopefully what I did in the classroom will deal with most of it. I've gotten something of a reputation, and now that it's known you're at least a friend of the Demon Vice-President's, you'll be fine." She blushed again, stammering slightly as she tried to form her next sentence. "F-from now on though, call me Lulu. Even in front of others. The only people who dare call me that are on the Student Council with me, so that will just help. Now! Go to lunch, I have some council business to take care of. And come to the Student Council building tonight, 6 o'clock."

He smiled before reaching over to give her a quick hug before leaving. "Alright, Lulu, I'll see you tonight then.

Thankfully for her, he didn't turn back to see the blushing wreck he'd inadvertently left in his wake.

 _He's going to completely demolish my reputation here... Worry about that another time though. For now I need to hide C.C. and then-_ She shuddered as she finished the thought. _Find Milly and try to keep this solely to the rumor mill, rather than having it plastered in the school newspaper._

_**6 pm** _

"Good to know you're punctual. That must have been something you learned after we lost touch. I seem to recall more than a few times where I spent time waiting for you. It's a good thing you weren't late though, we're almost out of time."

Lelou chuckled at Suzaku's confused expression. "Don't worry, Nunnally shouldn't bite... even if we surprise her."

"Nunnally is alright then?" His voice brightened at the prospect of getting to see the other Princess that he had befriended seven years before.

Nodding, she went over to Suzaku, grabbing his hand and pulling him all the way up to the kitchen. "Now, just wait here, Nunnally should be back with Sayoko in a few minutes. Don't say anything, we're going to surprise her."

She sat down at the table, surprised that as a moment later the door opened, admitting Nunnally and Sayoko. "We're home, big sister!"

"Welcome back, Nunnally, Sayoko. I brought you home a present today, Nunnally."

Nunnally cocked her head, asking what it could be as Lelou raised a finger to her lips, shushing Sayoko. The maid nodded, and Suzaku quietly emerged from the kitchen. _He never used to be able to move that quietly either. It seems the military taught him quite a lot. I need to think of a way to break that loyalty of his to Britannia._

The direction of her thoughts didn't show upon her face as she watched Suzaku looked askance to her. Nodding gently with a smile, Suzaku knelt next to Nunnally's chair, placing his hand upon the girl's smaller hand, gently picking it up, and engulfing it in both of his hands. Nunnally let out a gasp, recognizing the hands, gripping one tightly with both of hers. Tears rolled down her face, and Lelou stepped over, kneeling next to Suzaku, leaning against him as she gently brushed away Nunnally's tears.

"Thank goodness, I knew it. I knew you would be all right." She reached out, pulling Lelou in, and freeing her hand from Suzaku's before pulling him in as well, hugging them both even as tears of joy continued to spill out from her closed eyes.

"It's been a long time Nunnally, I'm glad to see that you and Lelou are well."

They spent the next two hours catching up, trading stories about what had happened after they separated that fateful day, Nunnally happily enlightening him of several of Lelou's worse habits, such as her recent gambling, forcing a blush on her older sister's face.

"You're going to spend the night with us at least, right Suzaku?" Nunnally's innocent question evoked a rather un-innocent splutter from Lelou as she sipped from her tea.

Suzaku glanced at Lelou with a mischievous grin, but at least had the decency to blush and glance away when she glared at him, daring him to comment in front of the little sister whose innocence was so jealously guarded by her elder sister. He held his hands up in surrender before allowing Lelou to respond for him.

"Suzaku's a student at the school now, I imagine we'll be hearing from him a lot, and you'll be able to visit him all the time."

"That's right, though I do have work to do for the military, so it can't be every day."

Nunnally's expression darkened slightly, "You're... still in the military then?"

He nodded, by routine Lelou supposed, even though Nunnally wouldn't see it. "Yeah, but I've been assigned to an engineering unit, so it's not too dangerous."

Lelou's eyes sharpened, gazing at him at those words. Something just didn't ring quite true though if he was lying he had become a much better liar. _I remember being able to call him on every lie before._ "An engineering unit, huh?" Lelou lifted the tea pot, noticing it was empty.

Suzaku rose quickly with an offer to help, but she quickly waved him back into his seat. "Sit back down, unlike seven years ago, we're your hosts this time. Stay with Nunnally." She gave him a gentle smile after offering him the ultimate sign of her trust, remaining in Nunnally's presence even without her. She looked back after a moment, her cheeks a little flushed. "You really have mellowed a little, since we were younger. I like the new you." She turned quickly as she felt her cheeks heating a little further at her choice of words.

"You've gotten a lot rougher, in the sense that you're not so formal I mean." She gave a little wave in response as she stepped into the kitchen, bustling around to make more tea. She frowned when she saw who awaited her though.

Speaking quietly, so as not to be overheard, Lelou interrogated the green-haired pizza lover. "I thought I told you to remain in my room at all costs tonight."

"You did, but you didn't tell me that you were going to bring home the Britannian soldier from Shinjuku. And honestly, if you were going to bring home your lover, you should have told me to remain somewhere else."

Lelou tried to control her expression, and knew that she failed when she heard the soft laughter coming from the woman. She chose not to rise to the witch's bait though. "He... He is my friend. Perhaps one of the only ones I have ever had. I cannot, will not, push him away because it would be the expedient thing. Even if I know that I should."

C.C. sighed, perhaps the most human expression she'd shown to date gracing her delicate features. "You don't want to push him away, for a reason you seem unwilling to admit to yourself. Do not forget. The power you have isolates you, it will take that which you love from you and destroy it, unless it destroys you first." She'd walked away after that presumably returning to Lelou's room, as she wasn't spotted again even as Lelou walked Suzaku to the front door.

"Come visit again, Suzaku. Whenever you can. Nunnally would like that." She smiled, blushing slightly as she continued in a subdued voice. "I'd like that too."

He nodded, looking down for a moment before he looked her in the eyes, a pained expression on his face. "That's fine, Lelou. We shouldn't be seen together at school though." He didn't miss the hurt that flashed in her eyes, and so he hurried on. "How would you explain it? I already don't know how you're going to explain what you've already done, I mean, hugging an honorary Britannian in public. If we aren't careful, your secret will get out, about you and Nunnally being Princesses. I don't want to cause the two of you any trouble."

Her expression turned to one of anger. "You... You're going to put others before yourself again?" Too late did she realize that she said more than she should have, that the first time had been Zero speaking with him.

"Again?" He blinked with confusion as Lelou shook her head quickly tossing sleek black strands with the motion.

"No, Suzaku. I won't allow that. I'll deal with it. You're in the military, you understand what it means to answer to authority. You're just a student, I'm the Student Council's Vice-President, so that means that when I say you will _not_ avoid me, or treat me any differently than friends with our history should, you _will_ listen, and you _will_ obey. Is that clear, Kururugi Suzaku?"

As she gave her demands, she watched him instinctively coming to attention, his shoulders squaring as he gulped slightly like he'd been caught doing something wrong by an officer. "Y-yes. I'll do as you ask, Lulu. Thank you for everything today. I'll see you in class tomorrow!" He paused turning back to give her a gentle smile. "I never thought we'd get another chance to talk like this, I'm glad."

And then he turned, running off towards the dorms, totally oblivious to the fact that he'd left her barely able to form a thought thanks to calling her the nickname she'd demanded that he call her earlier in the day.

_Damn him, making me feel this way. Why? Why did you have to go serve my enemy... Britannia can't be changed from within! I won't lose you when I take the Empire down, I'll pull you from the Empire's grasp, I swear it._


	6. Chapter 6

Lelou gathered her things after morning classes ended the next day, ignoring the gazes of the other students as whispers about what her relationship with the 'scary' Kururugi was. _Let them think what they will, As long as they-_

Her thought was stopped, no, strangled by the voice coming from behind her. "Hey, Lulu, mind if we eat lunch together?"

Suzaku's words had an equally powerful silencing effect on the rest of the class. While she knew that this would work well for cutting down on the hazing that he could expect, she hadn't quite counted on the level of difficulty it would present to her, particularly in the forms of stress and uncontrollable signs of emotion. The perfect example being the scarlet flushing over her pale cheeks. Nor did she miss the eyes looking at her, knowing that her reputation as a heartless demon was on life-support.

"Sure, would you mind waiting a while though? I have some business to take care of. I'll meet you out in the courtyard when I'm finished." He just gave a nod, and left with a little wave and a smile.

Once he was safely out of sight she channeled her inner demon, glaring at the class; daring them to say anything. When no one rose to the occasion, she gave a pleasant smile that only served to reinforce their thinking. _That which I hope is mainly, 'How in hell did Kururugi get to call her Lulu? she'd murder me if I tried.'_

She frowned as she looked at the time. She had tapped off a quick message to Ohgi earlier that she would be contacting him. Zero had a responsibility to keep in touch with his forces after all. Especially since she had left precious little in the way of a guaranteed quick access to Zero.

She glanced around as she stood on a landing, back resting against the wall in a mostly unused stairwell, thanks to being in the student council building, which was regularly unoccupied at this time aside from Milly in the broadcast room. Pulling the phone from the hidden compartment in her bag, she dialed the second number, immensely pleased that Ohgi answered on the first ring despite her calling a few minutes early. "Zero, it's good to hear from you again."

"Ohgi." She acknowledged simply, keeping with the persona she was working to build in Zero, the miracle worker. Zero had little time for pleasantries or diplomatic circumlocutions, only that which would help bring Britannia down. "I trust you were able to abandon the theater properly before Britannia arrived?"

"Yes, everything is fine on our end, but there's news. It hasn't been announced yet, but 'The Blood of the Samurai' was crushed by Cornelia and her guard. They were the largest group we had in central Japan. It won't be long until she comes after us. We need to move, link up with the JLF, something."

"Calm down, Ohgi. We will wait for now. Cornelia doesn't have a link to us, she simply took out those that she could find, those that Clovis looked the other way to. Her nature is to simply barge in and destroy her enemies, and though she may be exceedingly good at that, we cannot let ourselves be shaken by her reputation." She ignored his complaint at that, simply continuing on, "Remain hidden, do nothing under any circumstances without hearing from me on it before hand. I'll contact you next at 19:00 today." _Hmph. I may have given up using solely codenames, but he's getting a little too familiar in his tone. I'll have to use that, and soon before it becomes a liability._

Sliding the phone shut, she looked at the time, nodding before she headed towards the broadcasting room, knowing that Milly would be finishing her announcements any moment now. as she was walking down the halls, movement caught her eye through the window. Suzaku leaving the boy's locker room with a PE outfit, the jersey spray painted. "Go back to your ghetto, damn Eleven."

Her eyes narrowed, making note to draw the footage from the hallway camera. Whoever had done that would deserve the punishment that she would bring down upon them in order to hammer home the lesson that Suzaku was not to be touched.

Milly stepped out of the broadcast room as Lelou neared it. Gritting her teeth, she could already see the mischievous expression that the blonde had taken on after sighting her shorter, more logical, cold Vice-President. _That_ had caused her to rethink discussing anything with Milly, she'd just do it. To hell with the idea of getting approval, even though Milly would have okayed it in the end. Lelou simply didn't want to put up with the harassment during the process.

 _Too late._ Cursing herself mentally, she spun on her heel even as Milly's longer strides caught her, arms wrapping around Lelou, just beneath her bust. "You! You've been hiding from me after what I heard you did yesterday! And even today! A boy? Hugging him in class, letting him call you Lulu!" She gave a dramatic gasp as she bent down a little, resting her chin on Lelou's shoulder. "He never asked my permission to touch my Lulu! I'll have him punished for this!" Giving a giggle she let her hands slide up, groping Lelou's breasts. "Hmm.. I underestimated the other day... No wonder Suzaku Kururugi couldn't resist! Especially after you threw yourself at him! How scandalous!"

Lelou, not wanting to give Milly the pleasure of drawing a reaction from her, simply stood there. Turning her head a little to peer at the president out of the corner of her eye. "As if you have any claim to me, Milly. While you might have known me when I was... younger. Suzaku helped me and Nunnally quite a lot when we were thrown to Japan, even if he was insufferable in the beginning. And unlike you, he's actually a male, thus at least a little more likely to draw my attention than you."

Milly pulled away, clutching at her jacket, over her heart as if in pain. "Oh, what a sharp tongue doth my Darling use to wound me so!" Sniffling dramatically, she falls to her knees, looking up at Lelou. "Such cruelties, what have I done to deserve this? Especially when playing for both teams makes so many more options available!"

Smothering her annoyance, Lelou holds out a hand. "What have you done? Shall I list the events that I have had to sacrifice my dignity for, such as being forced to wear only my swimsuit to classes or being forced into a tuxedo with that ridiculous top hat and being forced to dance with you all night? If you desire, I can continue. I can offer a truce though, a return to the status quo if you will. Agree to let Kururugi onto the Student Council."

Milly took the hand, letting Lelou help her up before her face took a thoughtful expression. _That's among the most frightening things I see out of her, that face._ Lelou managed to suppress the grimace that would have spoiled Milly's mood. "How daring! My Lelou is growing up, wanting her boy toy to join her on the student council so they can sneak away for a good snogging session while the rest of us slave away on council work? Approved! He's in!"

Lelou simply let out an exasperated sigh. "Milly, you need to quit reading those smutty historical romances if you use that term. Now, go take care of the paperwork. I have something else to do."

The blonde president simply laughed, waving a hand at Lelou after releasing her. "That's fine! Go have lunch with your boyfriend. I'll have the paperwork for Grandfather to sign off on done before the day is out, looks like I'll have to plan a party for a new member... Oh! And maybe I'll even get to plan my first wedding while I'm at it! Wouldn't that be fun?"

Lelou closed her eyes, restraining the urge to murder her friend. While she wasn't terribly surprise that the President knew what had happened mere minutes ago in the classroom, it still managed to irritate her. _It seems I'll have to have a word with her sources in my class... After I find out who just earned a spot on my short list._

Fortunately, the security on the camera records was a little out of date, allowing Lelou to easily find the two first years that had done it. She planned to deal with them later though, Suzaku had been kept waiting long enough.

Lunch was rather uneventful, aside from the crowd staring at a distance. She didn't give the slightest thought to his protests when she informed him of his new position on the Student Council. Her only reply had been, "Welcome to Ashford, what Milly says, goes. And what those who can get Milly to say what they want, goes. Don't fight. You'll lose."

After lunch, she had bade Suzaku good-bye, shooing him back to the classroom while she went to pull the two first-years from their classes. Their teachers hadn't raised an issue, and so with both of them in the hall, she informed them of just what sort of punishment that she would pass out to them should anything else happen to Suzaku or his belongings being certain to note in particular the expulsion and letters that she would attach to their records as justification.

As she hoped, word of his admission to the student council, combined with the fact that he had a powerful patron in her circulated quickly. Hopefully other troublemakers would not force her to actually expel anyone, but she already had the outline for the letters she threatened if it proved necessary.

_**After Classes** _

Lelou sighed as she filed away the last of the paperwork in the Council room. Nina was surprisingly absent, the desk with her computer unoccupied. Something that constituted practically a first. _Perhaps not though, I've heard she's quite sensitive to the thought of Numbers, even if they are honorary Britannians. Stupid. Suzaku's no terrorist, no animal in human form as propaganda would have you believe._

Suzaku for his part was fitting in fairly well, Rivalz having found a sort of camaraderie with the honorary Britannian and commiserating as they shared stories of having to keep an eye on Lelou. Milly simply encouraged them, though at least Shirley helped to get work done before she ran off to swim practice.

Heading for the door, Lelou was surprised as it opened. A blue-haired woman in the brown uniform of a Britannian Army Engineering unit. In her arms was a cat, with a bandage wrapped around one of its legs. Lelou's eyes flicked to the woman's collar, still recalling her time as a Princess and dealing with the Royal Guard. "Can I help you, Captain?"

Silver eyes blinked in surprise. Presumably from a student, and a girl at that recognizing her rank. "Ah, yes. I'm told this is the student council? I'm looking for Warrant Officer Kururugi. He seems to have joined today."

She nodded, turning her head only to find Suzaku having appeared at her side. The never to be sufficiently damned physical reaction of her face flushing acting up again even as the Captain tried to smother a smirk. "Suzaku, we're to report to the University garage before Prince Clovis' funeral this evening. We're getting orders afterwards that you'll need to be present for."

He came to attention, saluting despite being in his school uniform. "Understood, Cecile. I'll head over there as soon as we're done here." He looked questioningly at the cat in her arms.

She gave a little smile as she handed him the cat, which he quickly took despite the hissing and fangs sinking into his finger. "I'm afraid Lloyd couldn't get approval for Arthur to stay with us." _Something odd about this Cecile's tone there... I'll need to do some research on this engineering unit Suzaku's gotten wrapped up in._ "Perhaps you can find somewhere for him to stay here?"

Lelou's eyes flashed to Milly, catching sight of the sudden sparkle in her eyes. "Oh hell. Looks like you've got a place for your cat to stay, Suzaku." Before Milly could turn that sparkle into an order that would force Lelou to remain, she darted past the Captain.

She heard Cecile question Suzaku before she was out of earshot. "She seems awfully familiar with you, already have a girlfriend after two days?"

Suzaku sputtered slightly before he formed a reply. "Uh, no, Lelou... Lelou is an old friend of mine."

Cursing the inevitable fate that awaited her at Milly's hands, she retreated to her room, taking refuge in doing some maintenance on Zero's mask as C.C. walked back in with yet another pizza. "I'll have you know I'll hold you to what you owe me, with 20% interest."

Her accomplice simply snorted in reply, pulling out a slice and busying herself with eating. Lelou looked at the clock, 18:58. _Time to call Ohgi._ Fishing the phone out, she dialed.

"Zero, some of us are wanting to disrupt the funeral this evening. Do you have a plan for that?"

She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. It had to be that loudmouth, Tamaki, trying to prove his idiocy once more. "No, Ohgi. We will not be disrupting anyone or anything this evening. I am not going to move against Cornelia until we are ready for her. She'll be hoping that we'll try something so she can wipe us out, probably call us a sacrifice for her dead brother's honor. I'm working on plans that will do far more damage than being a simple nuisance to Britannia. Be patient. I'll be in contact at the regular time tomorrow."

How they had managed to survive with a fool in their group, and how they even sometimes listened to the blustery posturing that came from him, astonished her. No matter though, as long as she could keep them from doing anything stupid, they would be able to form the core of the army she would build to fight Britannia. Some, even showed great promise. Ohgi, was quite the budding strategist, even if his grasp of tactics was a little weak, he would be quite useful in the future. And Kallen was a natural behind the controls of a knightmare. Find a way to keep her temper under control and get her used to leading, not just fighting and she could make a valuable field commander. Most of them showed promise really, aside from Tamaki. _He's a liability, between his mouth and tendency to ignore orders, we'd be better off if he were to be lost in action._

Lelou twitched at that thought. Her conscience recoiling at the sheer ruthless pragmatism that she was developing. _No, I will not become like them. I will not discard the weak, the flawed, for the sake of expediency._

She put those thoughts away as she stepped into the gym, taking her place standing next to Milly. Typical Britannia, putting on a grand show and requiring every Britannian to watch, aside from those busy in the 'defense' of the Empire, such as those still busy cleaning up the last patches of resistance in the newly created Area 18.

It wasn't long before the projector flashed on, lighting the end of the gym ahead of them with the images coming out of Pendragon. The camera panned across the solemn faces of the Empires senior Princes and Princesses. Lelou could feel Milly's gaze upon her, and isolated her emotions, determined to show nothing as an announcer declared the 98th Emperor of the Holy Britannian Empire, Charles zi Britannia.

She twitched as her father began to speak. Her fists clenched as she listened to that imperious voice washing over her yet again. All that it evoked was the raw fury she had felt the day she had renounced her position upon his failure to bring her mother's killers to justice. The day that she had sworn that she would bring justice to them, to the father barely worthy of the title, to the Empire that belonged to him, and to the beliefs he held dear. She swore to take them all from him. And she had not forgotten. Nor had she forgiven. Zero would move soon, and with him, the world.

_I will show you, Father. That I am no longer dead, as you called me that day. That Nunnally, whom you called weak, will win in the end. Her gentle world will be wrought by my hand, even if I have to bear the sin of destroying this one._

_**Three Days Later** _

"Damn it. It's too soon." Lelou tossed the phone away after reading a quick report from the network she'd slowly been building thanks to her Geass. Major movements of troops were relayed to Zero's phone, and it was now apparent that Cornelia had found her next target, the Saitama ghetto, operating base of the Yamato Alliance.

She sat at her desk in her room, C.C. lazing about on the bed, as she opened her laptop, pulling up traffic restrictions. They were certainly in place, but what surprised her was when the TV switched from C.C.'s drama, to a breaking news report, the anchor reporting what Imperial forces were about to do, and even that Cornelia would be present. What caught her attention most though, was the announcement of the time that they would begin.

"Dear sister Cornelia seems to have an even better handle on Zero than I would have figured. And it seems that she has learned even more from her time in the military than I would have figured. Though, I did lose to her a little more often than I won playing chess against her before we left Aries. I know nothing about this Yamato Alliance aside from their name." She fumed as she contemplated what to do.

C.C. for her part, simply watched Lelou as she struggled with the issue. _Zero is a miracle worker, a symbol, making the impossible possible. He would be able to take this Yamato Alliance and defeat Cornelia just as he did Clovis in Shinjuku. She's recreated the stage for me, inviting me. As much as I desire to ask her about the death of my mother, this is simply a trap to lure me out. It will mean the sacrifice of the lives in Saitama, but if Zero appears flawed... Then perhaps he'll come out all the stronger when we are ready, when the Black Knights are prepared to take on what I have planned for them._

"You're going to respond to her provocation?" C.C. asked mildly, though there was a hint of something dark in her voice.

Lelou turned to look at her. "No. Dying fighting injustice may be a noble thing, but dying with having accomplished nothing against the true source of injustice is far worse than the damage to my pride in conceding this battle before it has even begun. If she had waited another two weeks, Zero would gladly have accepted this challenge. There will be opportunities for him to redeem himself, and there will be opportunities for me to question my sister on mother's death." _I owe it to them, and so many others who may not be directly in the line of fire right now, to not throw away the plans I have in progress in a fit of pride. I will not risk Nunnally's future on it._

C.C. cocked an eyebrow in surprise as she gazed at Lelou. "That wasn't the answer I was expecting. Tell me though, which is more important, destruction of Britannia, or finding your mother's killer and making them pay?"

"They're one in the same." Lelou gave a bitter smile. "Mother died as part of the struggle for succession. The royals fight in the spirit of Britannia, Social Darwinism at its finest. They're made to fight, by my father."

"Is that not the strength of Britannia? Survival of the fittest is the most essential rule of all." Even C.C. recoiled slightly at the anger that statement evoked in Lelou's eyes.

"Humanity has reason, laws, sentience. We are not beasts. If what you say is true, then what happens to Nunnally?! Does she have to give up because she's weak?! I refuse to accept that! I will use their sacred rule against them, and wipe out that world. I will defeat them at their own game, and then build the foundation for a world not built on senseless violence. Not revolving around proving oneself by crushing ones foes."

She took a deep breath, trying to still her trembling fists. "Until the day I met you, all that I could do was make plans, think carefully on how I might accomplish these goals, and despair at how many years I calculated it would take me. Now? My plans move ever faster, what was six years a week ago, turned to six months a day later, only to be revised down to three months the day after that. Now, now that I can make this work, even in time that I might be able to keep my promise to Nunnally. Though I curse myself for my powerlessness, my inability to save those that my sister is about to kill, I cannot let myself stray."

Standing suddenly, she walked out, leaving C.C. to herself. _Something, anything, I need to hurry. Cornelia will end the resistance before long. And when she's finished, all that will remain will be those who are happy to live their lives as Britannian dogs. We can change their mind though, we just have to prove that we are better than Britannia. That we respect the weak as much as the strong, that the strong have a duty to the weak, not that the weak are there to be trodden upon by the strong._

 _Be it Clovis or Cornelia, Britannia never changes._ She looked to her watch, her eyes closing in pain as the minute hand ticked forward, the last minute of the two hours having ticked by. Now, the older sister that she had looked up to once upon a time was now in the process of murdering hundreds, perhaps thousands of innocent people, along with yet another group of those brave enough to make a stand, even if their goals were too narrow.

_Enough. The decision is made, you couldn't have helped them even if you went. Just do what you can to ensure that next time, next time you will be able to stop this madness. One step at a time, I will right this world._


	7. Chapter 7

_**Friday, after the Saitama Ghetto incident.** _

"A vacation? Doesn't that usually imply that you've been working hard and need a break?"

Milly recoiled , clutching her jacket. "Aiya... Where ever did you pick up that sharp tongue young lady? I certainly never taught you to wound others so with mere words."

Lelou sighed at the President's melodramatics. "While a trip to Lake Kawaguchi certainly sounds like a great way to spend a weekend, I'm afraid I've got business to attend to for most of the weekend. And, to deprive you of the pleasure; no, I am not staying because Suzaku had to refuse because of being on duty this weekend. Nor shall we be partaking in carnal desires in this room, so you may be perfectly relaxed on your trip without fear of us dirtying your precious 'Throne room.'"

The blonde leaned back in her chair with a pout. "I see I'll have to start writing new material for my Vice-President. Suzaku! You have permission to discipline her this weekend! And yes, you know just what sort of disciplining she needs!"

Suzaku, perhaps wisely, decided to remain silent, even if the blush coloring his cheeks spoke volumes. _Not so innocent as you appear, are you Kururugi? Certainly not the dirty brat that I wrestled with seven years ago any more._

Fortunately for her, she was on the last few papers that needed her signature, and would soon be able to escape Milly's grasp for at least a few hours, until she inevitably drew them in to make some last minute suggestions for the upcoming cat festival to welcome Suzaku's Arthur.

Milly looked up as Lelou slid the stack of papers over to her. "There you are, Prez. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business that needs to be dealt with."

The president nodded, but asked anyways. "I thought you swore off gambling?"

"I did, and have. But contracts signed months in advance cannot simply be ignored. I'm not offering my services anymore, but those who still need my assistance are out there; with me having already approved their request. I imagine I'll be wrapping these up in the next three or four months and then I'm out." She walked towards the door, giving everyone a quick wave and trying to ignore Suzaku's worried expression.

Her statement wasn't quite a lie, after all, she actually was on her way to meet with a Count who had requested her services in a dispute between him and an Earl. It seemed he wanted to see for himself how skilled that she was behind a chess board.

Indeed, she hadn't even regretted her actions after asking him kindly to hand over his recreational vehicle and forget that he had ever had one as well as forgetting having ever seen or heard of her. The good Count had been a mere annoyance as a chess opponent, and a far greater one as he had leered at her in her school uniform. _I'm keeping count, Milly, at how many times I will owe you for a man doing his best to get a peek beneath. This Count alone is going to put three or four black marks against your name... And I always pay what is owed._

Zero's phone buzzed. She wasn't supposed to hear from Ohgi for another hour if they had to cancel the meeting for whatever reason. Fishing it out, she looked at the message, reading it over and over again. _JLF elements moving on Sakuradite meetings, Lake Kawaguchi. Viceroy Cornelia mobilized, holding position surrounding lake._

So here she was, standing in the bedroom of what was most likely the most expensive single object in this ghetto, pulling on Zero's outfit, and donning the mask just minutes before her troops were supposed to arrive. After double checking that everything was in order with a quick glance in the mirror, she headed down to the main area, taking a seat on the couch crossing her legs as she 'relaxed', watching the seconds ticking away on the time/date display of her HUD.

The door opened, followed by the gasps of surprise at the luxury of the vehicle that she had brought to their meeting. "Hurry inside, as of now, this will be our new headquarters."

Ohgi obeyed, followed quickly by the others, nearly all of them lost in just taking in the sight of the ostentatious interior. "You think it's a good idea for you to join up with us then?" _As I thought, Ohgi is a bit more mentally flexible than he would lead you to believe. Perhaps he isn't as foolish as his general behavior would indicate as well._

"In a sense, we're more or less comrades as it is now anyways." Zero simply leaned back on the comfortable couch, waiting for them to satisfy their curiosity in looking about the RV. Inevitably came the questions of how Zero managed to acquire this vehicle to which she simply replied, "I asked a rather licentious nobleman to let me have it." _By the looks on their faces, they think I've told a joke, rather than simply the truth._

And then Minami did her the greatest favor of all by turning on the TV, flipping it to the news. The first thing appearing being a reporter on scene, the hotel on the lake in the background. _Well, that saves me the trouble of explaining it, and at least Kallen seems as shocked as I'd hoped she'd be by seeing Milly, Shirley, and Nina. I'm just glad that I didn't let Milly pull me into that, or let her drag Nunnally along._

Fortunately for her, the report also listed some additional information that she hadn't gotten from her 'spies.' Such as the fact that it was Lt. Colonel Kusakabe that took this foolish action. She tuned out the rest of the report as the reporter went on to explain the reasoning for the Sakuradite distribution meetings as well as the valuable mineral's uses.

As much as it annoyed her to keep quiet for a while as they continued to watch the report, and make their own comments on the situation and the JLF in general, she was pleased that their tones didn't seem terribly pleased with the way the JLF was taking hostages. _This is the right group. They may have freedom for Japan as their primary goal, but they still understand that there are methods that shouldn't be used for it. I can take that, use it. Mold them into what I've decided the Black Knights are to be._

Lelou's phone buzzed in her pocket, Rivalz calling. She had no choice but to let it go to voicemail. _Don't worry, I'll rescue them somehow and give a proper apology for not answering later. Why is Cornelia just holding position though? That's not the sister I remember, normally she would have charged in, damn the consequences even if some or many of the hostages got killed; the important thing was to kill all of the enemy._

"I'm thinking of what to do about this situation." Zero stood, pointing towards many boxes stacked near the hatch to the driving compartment. "For now I've gotten us some of the essentials for making this our headquarters, put things away while I make plans for this in my office upstairs."

Heading upstairs, and closing the door behind her, Lelou sat down at the desk, turning on the laptop she'd brought to continue watching the live coverage. _This is the perfect situation, but are they ready to become not just freedom fighters? They will need to be willing to keep fighting, even after Japan is freed._

 _Cornelia will just sacrifice the hostages if nothing else works, and I'm sure she's already tried every other option, she's not so patient as to wait and see for very long. So why doesn't she move? Wait... there's only one thing that I can think of that would stop her. That name wasn't on the list though! The list was active participants, so maybe an observer? They were never identified anywhere._ Nothing _else would stop Cornelia. It must be Euphemia. She's got to be there._

She was a little surprised as the door opened without so much as a knock. _The familiarity, while having its benefits, is going to have to change when we get bigger._ "Zero, what will happen to the hostages?"

Zero muted the report, turning to look back at Kallen, who was busy hugging a pillow, looking as down as one could expect given that her friends were hostages to her allies, as much as she might like to pretend that they weren't her friends for being Britannians. "Eventually there will be no reason to keep the Britannians alive, and every reason to have them dead as a stain on Cornelia's handling of the situation."

Lelou was pleased by Kallen's downcast expression at her words. Ohgi entered carrying the box of uniforms that she'd had made, asking if he should hand them out, even if he was a little uncomfortable with the idea of uniforms as just a resistance group.

 _That will change. No, we'll change that now._ "You're wrong." Ohgi blinked as Zero's denial of their being a resistance group. "We are not a resistance group, not any longer."

Zero stood as Ohgi asked what they were then. "What we are, what we will become, are knights of justice, protectors of those without the strength to stand alone, and foe of those who use strength to enforce their will on those weaker than themselves." She stretched a hand out to the report that was showing old photos of the then Major Kusakabe in the old Japanese Army. "What the JLF is doing here is evil. Targetting Britannia's military forces, supply chains, and government operations is one thing, targeting civilians is something that will not stand. I'm willing to even bet that not all of the hostages are Britannian, almost certainly some of them are Elevens, and yet are now thrown into a situation like this because of a fool like Kusakabe." She took a deep breath, the plan coalescing in her head. "Yes, Ohgi, pass out the uniforms. Tonight we reveal the existence of the Black Knights."

_**Two hours later** _

Sneaking through the wooded area, she found what she was looking for, one of the news vehicles. She smiled, simply knocking on the door as the operator opened the door. She could only imagine what thoughts were running through the man's head as he stared down Zero for a moment before she opened the slot, ordering him to leave the vehicle and go take a short walk in the forest along with the rest of his crew. She quickly repeated the order as the crew looked at her as she entered.

Dialing Ohgi, the Black Knights quickly emerged from hiding, clambering into the vehicle as Zero climbed the ladder to stand atop it. "You know what to do, Q-1, just take us in towards that bridge, nice and slow." While Zero's voice might have been calm and collected, Lelou's thoughts were not. Particularly after Kusakabe had ordered one of the hostages pushed from the roof. She'd made sure that the rest of the Black Knights had seen the footage, and heard the broadcast that had been made after it, how every thirty minutes from now, another hostage would be executed if their demands were not met.

Standing straight, she stared straight ahead even as the news van slowly went down the road lined by Sutherlands. _Well, at least Cornelia didn't just order me shot. I didn't think she would, she'd much rather do it herself._

Just before they reached the bridge, Cornelia and her guard appeared, squealing in front of them in their customized Gloucesters. _As much as I'd like to question you, and then remove you for what you've done in Saitama, right now you're more useful alive. If you follow your nature, I won't even have to use my Geass upon you here._

Cornelia emerged from her knightmare, surprisingly not even pointing a weapon first before she spoke. "And so we finally meet, Zero. You surprised me, with not accepting my invitation to Saitama, but I must also applaud you in that regard for being smarter than your theatrical flair would indicate. Are you a member of the Japan Liberation Front, come to aid your comrades? Or," she broke off, a small laugh at the absurdity of what she was about to suggest, "perhaps are you intending to help us?"

She didn't wait for a reply from Zero as she drew her sword-pistol, aiming carefully. "Not that it matters either way, Britannia's concerns come before all else. And so, for the death of my brother, Clovis, I will kill you here."

"Cornelia, which would you choose: the dead Clovis, or Euphemia, who is alive in that hotel?" Zero responded with a finger pointing past the Viceroy. She smiled as that shot hit home, Cornelia's face twisting in shock that a mere terrorist in her eyes would know that which hadn't been revealed to any but the highest ranking Britannians here. _I'm glad that I was right. Well, not that I was all that worried about being wrong, nothing short of Euphemia being in danger could cause Cornelia to stop. I'm simply glad that you haven't changed since we last played together, big sister._

 _Now, before she gets too flustered and shoots me anyways..._ "I'm going to save Euphemia for you. Along with every remaining hostage in there."

"What are you talking about, Zero? We are enemies, why would you do anything to help me?"

"I will save your little sister, your sub-viceroy, and all of the hostages, and I will even remove the JLF from the hotel. All you have to do is let us pass. That shouldn't be too bad, even if I'm lying, I will be just as trapped in there as the JLF, and you can charge in as you've no doubt been planning and manage to kill me along with that scum Kusakabe." _Come on, Cornelia... Take the carrot, don't make me beat you with the stick. You're smart enough to say yes to that._

Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she thought for a few moments. "Fine, go in if you want. I'll deal with you both." _Not quite the answer I wanted, but it will do. Now, to get through the JLF guards, Kusakabe will probably see me as an ally, but even if he doesn't, he shouldn't be able to resist the urge to meet Zero._

The gates opened, the guards waving them through. She nodded as Kallen continued on, and stomped twice on the roof of the vehicle. 'Stick to the plan.' The plan being to ready the boats, plant the charges they'd brought along in the hotel, and to rescue the hostages when Zero signaled. Fortunately, they'd agreed that what the JLF was doing was wrong, and while perhaps a little uncomfortable with the thought of harming 'allies' they wouldn't hesitate to disable them as Zero had asked.

Lelou chuckled as soldiers in the old Army uniforms flanked her as they made their way to an elevator. Unsurprisingly, Kusakabe awaited her in the penthouse suite. Neither of the guards spoke during the trip, but nor were they overly cautious with her. And they even stepped back as they opened the door to the suite, letting her step in alone.

Kusakabe sat on a luxurious sofa, his back to her as an officer indicate that she should sit in a seat to the side. Rather than sitting, she walked over to the other side of the table, standing, facing the seated Lt. Colonel as he rested his hands upon his katana's pommel. He raised an eyebrow at Zero's refusal to sit, but didn't make it an issue.

Zero glanced around the room, taking note of the two other officers in the room. She turned back to Kusakabe as he spoke though. "Well, Zero. You're rather resourceful, managing to break through the Britannian lines with just words to Cornelia. I'm rather curious what sort of knowledge you have that would make a murdering witch like her stand aside."

Lelou simply shook her head at that. "It wasn't much, but it is also unimportant compared to what I've come here to speak with you about. I would like you to join the organization I'm forming to fight against Britannia."

He cocked his head at that. "Why should I join a new organization when I am already in the largest, best organized resistance group in Japan?"

"Because I imagine that Katase, or at least Tohdoh won't be happy with the independent action you've taken here."

The Colonel's eyes narrowed at that. "And what makes you believe I'm acting independently?"

"The fact that this sort of action is not the norm for the JLF. Though I will admit, targeting the Sakuradite distribution meetings is theoretically a decent idea, but it involves more civilians than the JLF tends to allow. And so, I'll ask again, will you join us, and manage to escape this situation alive, rather than as a simple martyr for Japanese independence?"

Kusakabe frowned, looking at the masked form before him. "Show us your real face then, Zero. It's rude to ask someone to join you without doing that much."

"Fine, but before I do that, I'd like to ask you something. What do you hope to accomplish by this action?"

"Is it not obvious? For Japan, and the world to know that the Japanese are not dead yet!"

"Childish. You are obsolete, a stupid beast in human form, lashing out mindlessly at those who have harmed you. I cannot save people like you." She transmitted the 'go' signal to the Black Knights.

"What do you mean, Zero?" Kusakabe's eyes glinted with a dangerous light as he stood, hand grasping the handle of his sword.

"You are a relic of the past, not looking towards the future. Japan can and will be great once more, but not with one like you fighting for her."

Kusakabe drew his sword, rushing her. To which she replied with her greatest weapon, the slot opening as she gave him and his officers the order to die, the sound of two gunshots, and the dying gasp of Kusakabe as he turned his sword upon himself echoed through the room.

The door opened quickly, the guards charging in only to be shot by the pistol that Zero had drawn. Neither were injured fatally, but both were down with a bullet to one's leg, and another in the second's shoulder.

She was surprised by the voice that followed. It wasn't the angry cries of the other two JLF members outside the hall, but rather from the 16 year old girl they had been escorting. A voice that Lelou recognized despite having not heard it for years. Her second favorite sister, after Nunnally, Euphy.

"Zero!"

She smirked, Euphy was holding up quite well for having seen two people shot in front of her, as well as the corpses of the other three that littered the suite. "The Colonel and the others committed suicide. They realized the pointlessness of this action, and took responsibility for it. Euphemia... You gave yourself up for the sake of mere commoners? It seems that you haven't changed either." The inquisitive expression that Euphemia's face took made Lelou twitch beneath her mask. _You idiot! Zero has never met Euphy, keep your identities separate!_

Ohgi's voice came through the radio. "Zero, we've planted all the charges and are heading up to secure the hostages, Kallen and Tamaki are heading your way. We're getting chatter about a crazy Britannian Knightmare that's broken past the linear cannon in the service tunnel on the JLF radios we took."

"Thank you, Ohgi." Not a moment later, the remaining JLF soldiers dropped their weapons as Kallen and Tamaki pointed assault rifles at them from behind.

Zero simply continued the conversation with Euphemia as the soldiers were led away. "I hear that you're the sub-viceroy now, Princess Euphemia."

"It isn't something that I am happy about." _She's made of sterner stuff than she used to be, standing in a room alone with the person who killed her older brother, along with three corpses. She hasn't even twitched._

"Yes, because I killed Clovis, you and your older sister were sent here to clean up the mess." She did tense slightly at the casual admission to having killed Clovis, but stood steady even as Zero continued. "To the very end, he begged for his life. With the very same mouth which ordered the deaths of countless Elevens, even children!"

Her expression darkened. "Is that why you killed my brother?"

Lelou replied with a relaxed, "No."

It provoked Euphemia, who shouted out, demanding to know why her brother had been killed by Zero. Zero, smiling behind the mask replied easily. "Because he was a child of the Britannian emperor. Which reminds me, you are also one of his children, aren't you?" She raised the pistol that she had shot the guards with, aiming at her little sister.

She didn't get to continue as the building suddenly shook with violent force. She looked out the window, just in time to see that cursed white knightmare firing the last shot at the hotel's foundation. _That one again?! No matter, we'll just move ahead a little faster than I'd planned._

Lelou looked to her little sister, who had fallen with the violent motions. Kneeling down in front of her she motioned quickly. "Onto my back, Euphemia, I have a promise to keep to your older sister. I'm saving you." The building rocked violently as it descended slowly into the water, but at least Euphemia was quick to listen, arms wrapping around Zero's neck giving just enough time for Lelou to press the detonator to the explosive charges that blasted out huge sections of the hotel's exterior, giving the illusion that it had been rigged with explosives by the JLF should Britannia have tried anything.

Zero rushed downwards, all but leaping down each flight of stairs as they made their way to the rendezvous point. She called out to Ohgi. "Get everyone out, don't wait for me! Get the hostages onto the boats and wait there." She realized that the hotel was sinking too fast, they weren't going to make it. She shot out the lock on one of the rooms at the rear of the hotel, kicking the door in after she set Euphemia down before shooting out the window as well, quickly bashing open a hole large enough for them to jump through. "We're going to have to jump, Euphy, Hold on to me tightly, I can take a rough landing."

Nodding, the pink-haired girl let Zero wrap her in the cloak as Zero watched, as the platform, 'ground level' she supposed, slowly came closer, 15 meters, then 10. At five, she lifted Euphemia, before leaping out the window. _Better a little too early than too late. The difference being injury or death, I'll risk injury than being trapped in a sinking hotel._

They landed hard, but at least in some rather dense foliage. Lelou cried out in pain as her ankle twisted, and Euphemia landed atop her, knocking the breath out of her. She panted heavily, trying to regain the ability to speak, and pointed to the marina. "Boats there, we came to rescue the hostages, they're all safe there. Go! Get in the boats and tell them to go, get away from the hotel in case the collapse gets worse."

The sub-viceroy looked at Zero, an odd expression on her face, but nodded anyways. She got up, running to the boats even as Lelou finally recognized that Ohgi was calling out for Zero on his radio. "Calm down, Ohgi. I'm alive. Just had to help a princess out of the collapse. I'm marking a point on the map, bring the boat you set the cameras up on and pick me up there."

She winced as she stood, half-limping, half jumping on her good leg towards the edge of the platform. The rather fancy yacht came into view, Kallen standing at the bow, looking rather worried even behind the identity-concealing visor.

She waved, calling out as the building continued to collapse, unfortunately beginning to sag in their direction. Ohgi, at the helm, noticed as well, and increased the speed, swinging the yacht against the platform with a painful, paint scraping screech. Lelou hopped onto the deck, rolling to avoid injuring herself further. "Get us out of here, Ohgi! Head over to the other boats!"

Ohgi nodded, speeding away from the hotel as a cloud of dust engulfed the yacht in an opaque fog. At least they weren't in danger of being crushed any more. They emerged from the cloud as Kallen dashed over to Zero, quickly reporting that the hostages were all safe, and that their boats had gotten away, not that they were in any danger, the building had collapsed in the wrong direction.

"Good, now, line everyone up, the cameras are set up for the next step." Zero ordered as she limped herself into position. _Alright, so future plans, no personal heroics. Every time you do something like this you end up hurting yourself somehow. Leave this to the people who are good at it. Stick to making the plans._

She worked hard to ignore the pain shooting through her ankle as she stood straight before the camera, watching the light flash from red to green as it connected, broadcasting live back to the news network's main vehicle. Playing to the theatrical nature of Zero, she waited a moment, seeing the feed focused on Zero's image. And then she spoke. "No need to fear, my dear Britannians. All of the hostages from the hotel have been saved. I regret that I was too late to be able to save the man who was murdered by the late Lt. Colonel Kusakabe in a pointless show of how serious he was about his demands. And now, I return them to you."

The floodlights that had been set up as she requested flashed on, lighting the shadow that had been behind her, revealing the black uniforms and visored faces of the seven other members of the Black Knights.

"People! Fear us or seek us as you please! We... are the Black Knights! The Black Knights stand with all those who do not have weapons, or the strength to defend themselves! It does not matter if they be Elevens, or Britannians! The Japan Liberation Front cowardly took Britannian civilians hostage, and cruelly executed an innocent among them. It was a meaningless act, an act of one who was strong raising their hand against the weak, and so we have punished them! Just as I punished the former Viceroy Clovis! He who ordered the slaughter of unarmed Elevens in Shinjuku! We could not stand by and allow this to take place, so we mete out punishment."

"I will not repudiate fighting. It is a part of human nature. But neither will I stand for one-sided slaughter of the weak by the strong! No matter the situation, no matter who is weak, or who is strong in any given situation! The only people who should kill are those prepared to die themselves! Where those with power attack those without, we shall appear, we shall serve as the shield; and yes, the sword of the weak! No matter how great a power our enemy may possess!"

Zero's tone turned almost into a verbal sneer as she threw her left hand out to the side. "Those of you with power, fear me!"

Throwing her right out to join it, she declared, "Those who have none, seek me!"

"For we, the Black Knights, shall judge this world!"


	8. Chapter 8

**_Wednesday, one week before the Lake Kawaguchi Incident, 3 days after the Saitama Ghetto Cleansing_ **

Footsteps echoed in the hallway. Glancing around, many of the other students cut off their conversations as he passed. Suzaku sighed as he lifted a hand, scratching his head in annoyance. _Well, it's a start I guess. Of course they're still going to be uncomfortable around me, but at least Lelou's little charade has kept the outright hostility to a minimum. I'm not sure I'm really comfortable with it though, she's risking too much for my sake._

He opened the door to the classroom, finding most of the seats still empty, though perhaps half of the class was present, milling about and chatting in their early morning routines. One seat that was filled surprised him. Lelou, or Lulu, as she berated him for whenever he failed to call her by the nickname, was never early. Most often she slipped in just before the teacher, and just as often after them. Teachers had never said anything about it, so he assumed that it was normal for her.

She had been absent the past two days though, Nunnally and Sayoko mentioning that she'd been suffering from a bad cold and was resting in bed when he'd had time off from Llyod's testing schedule to visit her. He was worried about her, particularly given Nunnally's anxious tone. _Big sister has never been sick more than a day, but she doesn't even seem that sick to not want to get out of bed. I'm worried about her, Suzaku._

 _That certainly isn't the Lelou I remember, she would never act in a way that would worry Nunnally, even if she was injured._ He watched her, as she simply stared out the window. He knew that look. It didn't show on her expression, but her eyes couldn't lie. He knew what one looked like when they were torturing themselves on the inside. Indeed, it was a look that stared back at him every morning in the mirror.

Worried, he walked over, sitting in the seat next to her, hand reaching out and grasping her cold fingers. She turned her head looking at him but if she really saw him he couldn't tell. He winced those violet eyes that were usually so bright, so full of life seemed utterly dead, as if they wouldn't have looked out of place on an automaton. His other hand reached up, engulfing her small hand in his warmth. "Lulu, you've got me and Nunnally worried. I've never seen anything get you down like this. Class is about to start, but after, talk to me. It hurts to see you so obviously in pain."

She sighed at him, and simply nodded. "Fine." _Her voice is as dead as her eyes... What happened to her?_

The minutes slowly crept by, none of the teachers called upon her, though he supposed that was a good thing. He wasn't even certain that they would have been heard, so lost as she seemed. She stood as the morning classes ended, giving him a quick look before nodding, indicating that she realized she owed him a conversation. She headed for the roof, and he followed, a half pace behind.

Her hair whipped in the wind on the roof, her back to him. She stepped away from him, resting her hands on the railing as she stared out at the Government Center. "Tell me, Suzaku. How can you stand to be around me? How can you stand it? Me, whose family seems determined to murder Japanese wherever we can find a good excuse for it."

Suzaku tensed at that. Words escaped him as she voiced concern for two incidents that had greatly troubled him. This wasn't time to be concerned about his own issues with his loyalty to Britannia. Far better to trust in a system, than in his own emotions. "Lulu, I- I don't know what you're talking about. Why would I be troubled around you? You are my oldest, and best friend."

"Liar!" She shook as he heard something suspiciously like a sob. "Don't lie to me, you know exactly what I'm talking about! My older brother Clovis, what he ordered at Shinjuku would have been nothing less than a massacre had he not issued a ceasefire for whatever reason. Then, he gets killed by Zero. Now, my older sister comes to clean up the mess, and recreates the situation from Shinjuku at Saitama, just to draw Zero out. My God, Suzaku, she announced her plans on live television two damned hours before she went in and carried out her 'operation.'" She turned towards him, her face marred by tears rolling down her cheeks.

 _I've... never seen her cry before._ His thoughts were cut off as she continued, her voice breaking as she fought back her tears. "How can I expect what my sister did to be any different from my older brother? The news will never tell the truth, but I saw, saw with my own eyes what was done at Shinjuku. I saw an innocent man shot just in front of me! I was splashed in his very blood as he died! I heard the cries of a child after their mother was killed. Do you know how hard it was to stay hidden listening to that child crying, only to hear the silence after another gunshot?" She shook her head quickly, trying to bring herself back to the point. "So I know, the same thing was repeated, all because my sister wanted to catch one man! How can you stand to be around me? I, who is from a family of casual murderers. How can you stand to serve the Empire run by monsters like us?"

Her words hit home, biting deep, as she voiced questions that he had been asking himself for some time since the two incidents. Seeing her in tears bothered him the most though, here was the girl who had been thrown from her home into an almost hostile land after the death of her mother, with a crippled little sister that she had to raise, even though she herself was only ten years old. He'd been ashamed of himself at how he had scorned her initially as some arrogant Britannian princess, but she had never cried, never shown weakness. Now, she was crying at what her siblings had done to innocents. The same siblings that he had sworn allegiance to in his service to the military.

He stepped close, wrapping his arms around her. He felt her tense, but didn't let her pull away, even as she began to cry harder, her tears soaking into the black fabric covering his chest. "Lelou, you are you. I would never lay blame for any action that a member of your family takes on you. I know that you know this, you just aren't thinking straight right now. We've been through too much for us to not understand each other."

"I don't though. I don't understand you, Suzaku. Why, why do you serve Britannia? Why do you serve a society that places people like Clovis, and now people like Cornelia in positions where they have the power of life or death over those they clearly don't even see as human?! I was glad that Clovis got what he deserved for murdering those people in Shinjuku. I heard soldiers talking about how he was ordering their deaths because they were harboring terrorists. Do you think that child that was killed knew anything about terrorists, do you think that child even knew what it meant to be Japanese? That their very existence was subject to the whims of a piece of garbage like Clovis?" Her voice grew quiet, "And even now, I await the day that Cornelia will be given the death she deserves for what she has done. Going directly after Zero and capturing him would be one thing, using innocents as a lure for a trap so obvious only an idiot would spring it on themselves? That is unforgivable."

She tilted her head up, looking at him her eyes no longer dead. Puffy and red, certainly, but there was a fire in them. One that he had not seen in seven years. She reaffirmed the oath she had made then with it. Even if she did not say it aloud, he knew what she was swearing in her thoughts. The words that he was glad she had not spoken again. Already what she had said could be argued to be treason, but saying anything more would have strained his oath to the Empire.

She pulled away from him, and this time he let her go. Ashamed that he hadn't been able to say anything to make her pain go away, and fearful at how he found a part of himself in complete agreement with her.

He spoke quietly, working to keep his inner turmoil out of his voice. "Humanity needs a system, logic and rules. If we rely only on emotions, all will fall to chaos. Britannia's system may have its flaws, but it can be changed. It will be changed, as long as people desire it to. Those who fight against it are just as guilty as those who abuse it."

She drug her sleeve over her eyes, wiping away the tears. "And while you try to change the system, how many more children will be killed for the sake of some royal's follies? How many more innocents will become caught up in my family's squabbling for the position of heir? Where was the justice in your treatment? You were arrested just because of a political ploy, even I can see that! Where is the justice for those murdered by Clovis, and now those murdered by Cornelia?" She didn't wait for a reply, only dashed off, leaving him standing there, holding a hand out towards her retreating form.

He gulped as he looked at his hand, clenching it tightly. _She always did have a way of shooting holes in my theories when we were younger. Why should I be surprised that she hammers me with the greatest weakness I noticed in my own plan? She... She even sounded as if she were grateful to Zero for killing her brother. She probably would be happy if he managed to kill Cornelia._ He shuddered, even though the breeze was fairly warm despite being so near Fall.

 _And me, I can't even argue with her. I even agree with her._ He remembered her oath, how she had sworn to destroy Britannia. _Is she so wrong? Is destroying a system truly wrong, when it will enable justice to be wrought on those that the system protects?_

He shook his head as he left the roof, slowly climbing down the steps as he headed towards the university garage. _You can't even convince yourself that you don't want to help her destroy it for what they've done. What would you think of her argument, Father? Would you agree with her willingness to fight a system even if you had no chance of victory?_

_'Better to die on one's feet than to live on one's knees.'_

His eyes narrowed as his father's voice gave the answer, a phrase that he had spoken just before... _Just before I pulled that knife and ended the pointless resistance._ _Even if my thinking may have changed, there is no way that I can go back and give Japan another chance. But maybe, maybe since we had not expended our strength... Maybe Zero really is following the will of Japan, taking a stand against injustice._

He didn't notice the silver-haired eccentric that had followed him from the roof until he gave a little cough, just before punching in the access code to their section of the garage. The sound caused Suzaku to whirl, his eyes wide with astonishment as the stared at his bespectacled, lab coated commander. "Lloyd! Uh... sorry. I didn't notice you."

Pinching his chin with his forefinger and thumb, the scientist let out his trademark 'Ah-ha!' "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to emulate me, Kururugi! Ignoring someone all the way from the stairway to the roof to the university garage is nearing what I've managed before Cecile..." Her broke off with a visible shudder before continuing. "At any rate! Cecile told me to find you, you're needed for a few tests. She told me something along the lines of, 'Go find your subordinate, and have a nice human conversation as you bring him to the garage.' Ah! There might have been an 'or else' in there somewhere, or it may have simply been implied... Either way, I can claim that the lack of conversation was hardly my fault! After all, the other party was distracted after sending a Princess away in tears! Don't tell me that she's the one Cecile was telling me she ran into the other day? Cecile would be crushed if you hurt a girl that has feelings for you. Not that I honestly understand any of that, that's just what she's nattered away about for quite some time."

Suzaku thanked the heavens when the babbling scientist finally took a breath. "Don't worry, Lloyd, I'll let her know that I wasn't in the mood to talk." _Wait, he said... princess?_ "Lloyd... why would you say I sent a Princess away in tears?"

The scientist's face had brightened as the threat of doom via Cecile-wrath was lifted from his shoulders, but it quickly turned to slight annoyance as the conversation with his 'most important component' seemed to continue. "It's rather hard to mistake the Sixth Princess Lelou, even if she has aged a few years without anyone having seen or heard from her. Which is a little curious now that I think about it. Royals have a harder time staying out of the limelight than us earls... and yet I'm drawn into more things than her! Perhaps I need to speak to her and find out the trick. She doesn't seem like the type that would disagree to comparing notes! A princess that doesn't mind when an honorary Britannian hugs her? Progressive! Might have to point Cecile her way so the she'll quit harping on me about needing to be more human."

Suzaku could only stare in horror as he realized that it was now his fault that Lelou's cover had been blown. Lloyd, a simple earl, had recognized her for who she really was. "Lloyd. You will not mention anything, to anyone, about Lelou. Is that clear?"

Lloyd's eyes stared blankly from behind his glasses. "Huh?"

"Let me rephrase it, if Lelou's identity is uncovered, I will wreck the Lancelot in every way that I can figure out. And I promise you, while I may not be as technologically savvy as yourself or Cecile, with all the tests I've helped you with, I know exactly how to destroy your Lancelot. So you will swear to me, upon pain of losing your toy, that you will not mention it."

Lloyd simply gulped, eyes wide in terror as he must have realized the deadly seriousness of Kururugi's threat. "Fine! Not a word about it. Now you have to tell Cecile that we did have a real conversation. Off with you!"

The scientist huffed as Suzaku stood there a moment longer as the door opened, before finally turning and heading to the Lancelot to meet with Cecile.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Thursday, before the Lake Kawaguchi Incident** _

Suzaku gathered the text books, quickly slipping them into his bag. He was going to need Cecile's help on some of the homework again. _That's what happens when you don't attend a regular school when you were supposed to. There's just something about calculus that doesn't sit well with me, it starts looking like the drawing boards that Cecile and Lloyd have been putting together for that 'float' system they've been working so hard on._

Giving the thought of math that complicated forced a well deserved shudder from him. He sighed, chiding himself for his childishness, and then saw Rivalz rushing over to Lelou. He watched the Britannian boy talking animatedly, about something or other that he'd done to upgrade his bike yet again. Lelou though, Suzaku let his gaze fall on her, observing. She seemed almost back to normal, though he could still see the pain hiding in her eyes.

He stood, walking out as he made his way to the Garage. The scene from last Wednesday replayed itself in his mind, the wrenching pain of seeing her in such distress and not being able to help hit him yet again. What followed though, was a memory that had shocked him just as much. Her apologizing for her actions. His eyes closed as the breeze washed over him on the pathway to the University.

She had grabbed him after class last Thursday, dragging him off to the roof again. She'd looked infinitely uncomfortable as she stood before him, it had almost been cute, seeing her so flustered. It would have been had it not been over such a serious issue, but then again, Lelou flustered over anything minor? Perhaps it was possible, the President seemed to be able to make her blush. Though generally only with lewd comments that tended to involve him. "Suzaku... I want to apologize for yesterday. I was... well, not entirely in control of myself. I won't say I'm sorry for what I said, I meant every word of it. But I am sorry that I put you in a situation where I questioned your loyalties."

She had taken a deep breath as he gazed down at her before she continued. "I can't say that I will never do it again, but I will try to keep from causing you any distress from now on."

And then she'd tried to leave, only to be stopped when his hand reached out, grasping her wrist. "Lulu, I need to tell you. My boss, he recognized you, the other day." _I should have told her this earlier... She's going to kill me now._

Her eyes widened, and he saw a flash of fear in them. "Th-then why haven't Nunnally and I been carted off by the Royal Guard?"

Suzaku blushed slightly, remembering threatening Lloyd. "Well, my boss isn't really concerned with anything other than being able to conduct his experiments and build new 'toys' as he calls them. So I told him to keep quiet about it, or else I would do something regrettable to his favorite 'toy.' I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, but... Well, you seemed to be trying to avoid me after we last spoke. It seems that he's keeping quiet though, so my threat seems to have been taken seriously."

She looked up at him, her expression rather frightening, "I will want to meet with this man, before long. I cannot let someone who knows of our still being alive be out there without me having met him. Thank you, though, for protecting our secret Suzaku. Now, if you'll excuse me." She nodded, pulling her wrist out of his grasp, pulling a cell phone from her bag, and hurriedly tapping out a message on it as she walked away.

_**Friday, Lake Kawaguchi** _

_How is it that so much changes in just a few hours? Just this morning, we were sitting in the Student Council office, Milly making dirty jokes about how I needed to discipline Lelou, and now I'm sitting here, useless, as Milly, Shirley, and Nina are held hostage?_

_The Britannian infiltration team, three Sutherlands, destroyed in a flash by a linear cannon. And still the Viceroy won't let us try. All because of me, all because of a Number being a pilot. Maybe... Maybe Lelou is right. Maybe a system can become to corrupt, too slow, to properly respond to the will of those without power. The Viceroy has done nothing, even though a civilian has been murdered._

_She even let Zero through! What is she thinking?_ He twitched, remembering Lelou trying to teach him chess. _'Tactics, Suzaku! Tactics are the key to defeating your enemy on the field.' She was right when she said I wasn't very good at it. But, even I can see that the Viceroy is setting this up to be a bloodbath. Will she even care if she loses all of the hostages, as long as she manages to kill Kusakabe, his men, and Zero?_

"Ah! Thanks so much for such a lovely order!" Suzaku blinked, looking back at Lloyd, the scientist bent over the communications console with a bright smile on his face. Giving his disturbing giggle, he turned, looking up at the cockpit. "They said you and the Lancelot can go for it! We get to destroy the linear cannon in the service tunnel!"

Cecile's expression darkened as she shouted back at the giddy Lloyd. "You mean they're just using him as a decoy to make an opening for them?!"

"Of course! The plan is to send the royal guard in during the confusion!"

The captain was about to shoot back another angry retort, but she was stopped as Suzaku laid a hand upon her shoulder. "Cecile, I'll do it. Please, let me. I need to do this, they need me and the Lancelot to give them a chance to be saved, I don't care if I'm just a disposable decoy."

Cecile looked back at him, noting the determination in his voice. "This is incredibly stupid, but alright. I know your friends are hostages in there. Just be careful? Okay? I don't want to have to deliver a black letter to that girl you seem so close with."

Suzaku shook his head at that. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. She would never forgive me if I didn't come back fine with our friends from this."

Lloyd, in typical forgetful fashion made the situation worse. "That's right, Kururugi! Don't make your Princess Lelou cry again!" He froze as Suzaku's gaze hit him. It was rather surprising that the scientist didn't burst into flames. "Uh, and bring back my Lancelot in good condition! Not to mention that VARIS Rifle we're going to get to unpack for this plan!"

Cecile looked on curiously as the normally airy Lloyd beat a hasty retreat. "Oho? So things have gone that far between you and her... Huh? Now you definitely have to return so I can get the story out of you, and hurt you for making such a lovely girl cry."

Suzaku gave a weak chuckle at that. "Ah... I'll see what I can do about that, Cecile."

She nodded, her expression turning more serious. "Alight, enough joking around, get suited up, I'll prep the Lancelot. We go in..." She paused, checking her tablet that Lloyd had passed the mission plan to. "10 minutes."

He nodded, dashing off to change into his pilot's suit, returning just as Cecile hopped down with a thumbs up. "Lancelot's ready to go, I'll brief you on the plan as soon as you're settled, we've got 6 minutes till the 'go.'"

Quickly clambering up the ladders, he put in the earpiece before sitting, plugging the key into place, nodding as the system booted up readily. Cecile's voice came through as a diagram of the hotel came up on the main display. "Warrant Officer Kururugi, here's the outline of your mission." The display constantly updated as she spoke, indicating target points and the locations of the hostages. "You will use the utilities/service tunnel to move underneath the hotel, to destroy the foundation block. The hotel should hold up long enough for the Royal Guard to move in and rescue the hostages and deal with the JLF and Zero before getting out. The VARIS rifle will be enough to destroy the foundation, and it may be used against the Linear Cannon guarding the tunnel, but it may prove too powerful for that, so try to avoid doing that. Setting the impact rail to anti-material level three should be good enough to destroy the foundation, but you'll only have enough power for three shots at that power, so use them wisely."

He took a deep breath as he felt the Lancelot being lifted by the crane, moving over the tunnel access that had been used earlier. Lloyd's voice cut in as he hovered over the inky darkness of the hole. "The cannon will be a problem, space is limited enough that even the Lancelot will only have an evasion rate of 47.8% so just be sure to bring it back if things get too rough down there, you mustn't wreck my Lancelot after all."

_We'll see about that, if Cecile asks you about that princess comment you'll probably tell her, and then I'll definitely be in trouble with Lelou, even if I survive this and everyone comes out fine._

Opening his eyes as the Lancelot gently touched down in the tunnel, he engaged the landspinners, watching the countdown slowly ticking down to the operation's start. _3, 2, 1,-_ His thought was cut off as Cecile's voice rang in his ears. "Lancelot! You have a 'go!'"

The white and gold machine streaked down the tunnel, hurtling towards the JLF linear cannon at an impossible speed for any other knightmare. _Being rough on the acceleration seems to be becoming a trademark of mine... I'm glad Lloyd doesn't mind that I push this machine to its limits._

The Lancelot's sensors picked up a massive electromagnetic reading well out of his range, so he simply kept pushing forwards, readying the Blaze Luminous shields. The pattern from the cannon's last firing showed that most of the projectiles spread in a mostly downward pattern. "Up we go..."

He kicked off as the cannon fired, the hypersonic projectile flashing down the tunnel towards him as the Lancelot strained, screeching up the tunnel wall as most of the pellets flashed past beneath him, the rest deflected with a perfectly timed use of the Blaze Luminous system. The sudden expansion of gasses behind him from the explosions gave the Lancelot a much needed boost as he worked to regain lost velocity as he came ever closer to the Linear Cannon, still a little out of range.

He smiled slightly, as he heard voices coming over the radio, along with the sounds of things clattering around. Cecile's voice, rather strained, calling out, "I warned you about this!"

Lloyd's ever cheerful tone replied. "I know, he's running this for real, not just playing decoy! I told you he was the perfect devicer! Where else would we get data like this?"

While normally, he would have chuckled at the humor he felt at their words, he was too focused, particularly given that the second shell had been launched, which he deftly avoided just as he had the first. And then the green light lit for the VARIS, he was in range. "It's too dangerous to let that thing fire again... I'll take you out at range."

Aiming quickly, knowing he had only a few seconds before they fired again, he pulled the trigger just before Cecile cried out. "Wait! You have the power set too high! It's too dangerous!" The resulting blast as the Linear Cannon exploded sent even the Lancelot spiraling back, as it also displaced the tunnel, and unknown tons of water above. He heard the worried cries from the creators, one for him, and the other wailing, "My Lancelot!"

Sensing the opportunity though, he rushed forwards, into the tempest of flames and water, leaping high as he spun the Lancelot, looking for the target. He found it, and quickly unleashed a fury of blasts from the VARIS draining its remaining energy, sending the foundation crumbling, the lights in the hotel flickering. He heard the frantic cries for the Royal Guard to move in, but it seems they hadn't been prepared for him to succeed.

Suzaku's gaze held steady to the window, the figure standing alone in the Penthouse suite. "Zero!" His eyes went wide as the cloaked figure pressed a button, and major portions of the hotel erupted in fireballs reminiscent of the one he'd just charged into as the hotel came crashing down, far faster than it was supposed to.

"N-no... Milly... Shirley... Nina... It can't be!" He charged in as the hotel collapsed, desperate to do something, anything, ignoring the commands to get back, that there wasn't anything that he could do.

He shook, the hotel in ruins around him as he stood in the midst of flames, shattered concrete, and warped steel. He heard Cecile's happy voice at his being alright, but he felt nothing but despair. He'd failed. Failed to protect Lelou's friends, the people who had made him feel welcome despite being only an honorary Britannian.

 _Too weak... I'm too weak, again. I couldn't save them. Still more deaths on my hands-_ He looked up as he heard that voice. Quickly pulling up the source, he noticed a video feed with it, and opened it, just in time to see Zero beginning his speech from the yacht as it gently motored into a group of other boats. Zero's words stuck in his mind, particularly those that spoke of having saved all of the hostages, the video cutting to images of them, where he saw the three faces he'd been looking for. The three faces he'd feared he'd lost. The three faces that he would have had to apologize to Lelou for.

He wiped away tears as he continued watching the feed, the uniformed individuals appearing behind Zero as he proclaimed the mission statement of his, 'Black Knights.'

Cecile's and Lloyd's commentary carried over his radio. "Knights?" she questioned.

"Ironic, isn't it? Terrorists calling themselves knights." Suzaku could imagine the inquisitive grin that Lloyd was surely wearing as he watched.

_I can't believe the media is letting this run... I... I honestly can't believe how much I agree with what he's saying. If only he worked from within the system, I would serve him without a single qualm. Lelou has a point though. He seems to have a better handle on justice than Britannia does. And he's even shown that his justice is applied equally, to those I thought would be his allies, and to his enemies._

He shook his head quickly. _Enough of that. That man is your enemy, Kururugi. Don't admire him. He's a criminal, and deserves punishment for what he's done._

Suzaku sighed, relaxing slightly as he remembered his dedication to the system he was working to change. Until a traitorous portion of his conscience called his bluff.

_Yeah, he's a criminal that killed a butcher, a butcher that slaughtered men, women, and children in front of Lelou. Don't tell me you wouldn't have pulled the trigger if you'd had the chance after seeing what that did to her. And besides, it's not as if you've never worked outside the system. Who was it that decided for Japan that resistance would be ended, whether the Japanese were ready to quit or not?_


	10. Chapter 10

_**Two weeks after the Lake Kawaguchi Incident/Rise of the Black Knights** _

Lelou stifled a yawn. _I'm going to have to start having Zero delegating tasks for the Black Knights. I won't be able to keep up our pace of operations and participate personally in all of them._ She leaned back in her chair, reviewing several applications for new members. Strewn across her desk were papers regarding the operation that she would be carrying out in a few more hours.

C.C. stared with her usual bemused expression as the rebel princess ignored every barbed comment sent her way. "Lelou... You almost make me want to join as a double for Zero so you'll at least rise to some of the bait I trawl before you."

At that, Lelou did raise her head from her work. "You know... That's a good idea actually. I'll see what we can do about making that work." She nodded quickly. "As long as you can keep up 'Zero's' personality, there are quite a few uses I could see for that. Zero is a symbol after all, would it be all that surprising if he could jump around and avoid all the usual problems like traffic in getting between point A and point B... Not to mention if Britannia did catch on, they'd be looking for an organization, not just a high school girl and her conspirator."

The green haired woman blinked as Lelou descended into her world of planning once more, mumbling to ideas and uses for two Zeros. "Well that could have gone better."

Lelou heard the television being switched on, and paid half-attention to it as it was switched to the news, the headlines of the day of course listing the activities of the Black Knights. Last night's operation was being analyzed by a panel of experts. A counter-terrorism official, a researcher that focused on Britannian-Numbers relations, and of course the anchor, asking pointed questions.

The Counter-terrorism specialist was eager to denounce the Black Knights as nothing more than another terrorist group as they'd so amply proven when their leader, who refused to even be named, murdered the third Prince of the Empire.

In a rather bold move for a member of the media in the Empire, the anchor raised the question about how most of the recent actions by the Black Knights had been almost surgical strikes on activities that were illegal under Britannian law.

The researcher responded to that, his main argument being that aside from their initial act of violence against the Royal Family, the government should be employing the Black Knights. They were cleaning up the scum among natives as well as the Britannian conquerors. The recent attacks had all been against organized Britannian crime, mostly human traffickers and drug peddlers. And, in a surprising show of viciousness, she even dared say that it was a good thing that the Black Knights were executing people caught in such acts, as the majority of them were connected to Britannian nobility and would be expected to escape justice in the form of a mistrial or some other sort of technicality.

Lelou smiled as she listened to the woman's comment before the show suddenly cut to commercial. "Honestly, I'd say that Zero is doing wonders for the relationship between Britannia and Elevens, his claim that the Black Knights stand for justice has been backed up almost nightly within Central Area 11. It only remains to be seen how long it takes for him to expand operations to the rest of the Area."

Looking at the clock, Lelou nodded as she signed off on each of the applications. They were acceptable for what she needed, and frankly, she needed to build up the organizations numbers. Spreading command to the current core would prevent too much loss of effectiveness, but they were going to have growing pains, until the new recruits built up experience, and got used to operating in an organization like the Black Knights.

 _Worry about that later, Lelou, you need to go now to be on time for tonight's raid._ She stood, pulling on her jacket before hopping out the window. It was easier than trying to avoid Sayoko, the woman must have the senses of a cat, and sleep like a coiled spring.

_**An hour later** _

"Now then, you all know what to do. Wait for my signal and then we'll hit these drug dealers with everything we've got." Zero nodded, with a smile hidden behind the mask as the Black Knights growled their approval, quickly checking their weapons.

Lelou had wondered if they would have an issue with killing those involved in these criminal activities, but had been pleasantly surprised by the lack of questions, and even fierce approval when she'd given the order that none of the criminals were to escape alive the first raid. _Given that the people we go after either kidnap Japanese children to sell abroad, or ply drugs like Refrain to people in the ghettos, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised that they're willing to execute the scum since the law wouldn't._

Indeed, the dealer they were after tonight had been acquitted after being captured by Britannian police forces smuggling refrain into the Tokyo Settlement. _Such is the influence bought by being the son of an Earl. No matter, we will solve this little problem tonight._

While the armed guards were decent evidence that nothing good was going on in the warehouse that they were poised to strike, she didn't want to risk making any mistakes that would taint the Knight's reputation. And so she insisted on getting confirmation whenever possible. Easily sneaking past the guards with the assistance of her Geass, she knelt on a catwalk, using a little directional microphone to focus on two men in business suits as crates were loaded into a truck. "I'll transfer your payment into your wife's account, the standard rate for Refrain is what we agreed on?"

That was more than enough for her. She whispered into the radio. "Go. This is the target."

She stood as her Knights charged in, guns blazing. She heard the cries coming from Britannian throats as bullets riddled them. Finding a ladder, she easily descended, the gunfire having died out by the time she reached the warehouse floor. One was still alive.

 _The son of the earl, tougher than I would have expected, but he'll die soon with so many bullets in him._ The man's hand flashed out, gripping her ankle with the strength of the doomed, he reached a hand into his jacket, weakly pulling out a pistol, shaking as he tried to lift it at her. "Damn you... Zero... Black Knights..."

She kicked the pistol out of his hand contemptuously, before tearing her ankle from his grasp as he collapsed into unconsciousness that he would likely not wake from. Turning to look at the Black Knights, she nodded to them. They scampered into the truck, pulling out the crates that had been loaded, and dumped their contents, smashing the vials within that contained untold millions of pounds worth of refrain.

Pulling a letter she had prepared at their hideout, she looked at it. The symbol of the Black Knights lay in the background, and explanation of the man's crimes and escape from justice overlaid upon it. She knelt, placing it upon the blood-soaked jacket. That had become their calling card, every operation a letter with the reason for it.

"Good work everyone. That's all for tonight. Now go, before the police arrive." She dashed off in another direction, pleased that the Black Knights didn't try to follow her. Far easier to just worry about evading anyone who might see Zero, than worry about them as well as her own allies trying to discover her identity.

_Now, we just see if C.C. will actually lower the rope for me without giving me hell about looking like a high school boy desperate to sneak a visit with his girlfriend._

_**7 hours later** _

Lelou twitched as Kallen stood up in the middle of class, declaring, "The Black Knights!" She didn't wake though.

She did as class ended though, but decided to skip lunch. She remained in her seat, in her usual 'sleeping in class' position that gave most the impression that she was merely staring out the window, and tried hard to return to sleep.

Luck wasn't with her though, as Shirley and Rivalz took seats near Kallen, commenting on how it was unusual for her to be sleeping in class. Though if she did, she should take lessons from Lelou. Hearing the surprised tone from Kallen, asking if she was really asleep, Rivalz replied.

"Yeah, I don't know what she's up to night after night, but she sleeps through half of her classes now. I'd blame it on sneaking to visit Kururugi every night, but he doesn't seem out of the norm." _It seems I definitely need to begin delegating... and I need to strangle Rivalz, and then Milly. Just because I know that somehow, she has to hold some of the blame for this._

When afternoon classes ended, she stood, heading towards the door only to be stopped by Suzaku. "Milly wants us to report to the student council room on the double for Arthur's welcoming festival."

Lelou blinked at that. "Aren't the preparations all done? We just have to wait for it to start now, right?"

He nodded at that. "Yeah, but she didn't tell me why, just that we needed to."

Biting back a long suffering sigh, she raised her hands in surrender. "Alright, if Her Majesty demands our presence, our presence she shall have."

_Such an innocent start to a great betrayal._

Lelou, for her part, was struggling as best she could as Suzaku held her arms behind her back with Milly unbuttoning her jacket. "Hey! Suzaku! Let me go! Don't listen to her! And don't look damn you!" She screeched as Milly finished opening her jacket and then quickly unbuttoned her shirt, all the while somehow tugging her skirt off, leaving her half-naked as Suzaku looked away. He shifted her hands at Milly's orders to allow the President to remove the uniform completely.

Glaring at the President as best she could given that she was held in a gentle, if iron grip by Suzaku despite only being clad in her underthings. She went beet red as Milly cocked her head before commenting. "Aha... so Suzaku is one of those that likes striped ones... And really Suzaku! Why are you looking away? Surely you've seen more alrea-" She 'oofed.' Courtesy of Lelou's foot impacting her stomach.

"Ow. Alright. I suppose I deserved that one. Not enough subtlety."

"Damn right, now give me back my clothes!"

"No no, it's a festival today! All members of the student council will be wearing cat outfits today! So here's yours!" Her bubbly nature returned quickly as she held out a skimpy leotard with a tail attached to the rear, and fur lining its edges. Indeed, it matched the outfit that the President was wearing, only without the cat-paw mits.

"Milly... Vengeance will come one day."

"Oooh, scary!" She simply smiled as she watched Lelou quickly pulling it on. "See? That wasn't so bad."

"Milly, I'm wearing fur-lined stockings. It's awful. I just know that there is no other choice with you."

"I don't know, but I bet Suzaku will like it when he finally dares to open his eyes." She nodded appreciatively, giving her a once-over that would have done a dirty old man proud. "Just tight enough to show off your chest, and it rides just high enough on your hips to tease without being lewd, plus, who can resist the bare thighs of a maiden?"

"I can." She all but snarled while grabbing the cat-ear hair band from Milly, and maintaining her dignity as best she could while putting it on. "Suzaku. You may open your eyes, but may I speak to you in the hall for a moment?"

Milly struggled to hold in her laughter as Suzaku hopped to follow the order. _Probably because she's thinking something along the lines of him chasing tail..._ She glared down at the tail that bounced off her legs as she stomped towards the door. _Literally._

She opened the door to find a blank faced Kallen, just recovering from a yawn to give her a curious look. _Yeah, Zero, grand leader of the Black Knights, in a cat-girl outfit. That's_ just _what we need for the recruiting posters._ Giving the red-head a small smile. "Your turn." She chuckled as the bewildered Kallen stepped into the trap, as Milly grabbed her, working to begin stripping her as well.

As the door closed behind them, Lelou turned, giving Suzaku a hateful glare as he stood still in his school uniform. "Now then. I still need to speak with your boss who found me out. We're going to do that today, before I get busy again."

He stammered slightly, clearing thinking through how much trouble it could be if a civilian were brought into a place like that. "Lulu... I'm not sure that's such a good idea..."

"He's your commanding officer. He knows that I'm a princess. If I need to be a princess to get in and swear him to secrecy on my status, as well as a short visit to an engineering unit's base... Then that's what I'll do." She opened the door to call in to Milly. "There's something we need to deal with, Suzaku and I will be back in time for the festival." She ignored the almost hysterical laughter, only half-hoping that the blonde injured herself during the fit. "Now, let's go."

He heard the command in her voice and gulped before finally nodding. "A-alright... Then follow me."

As they walked towards the university section. She finally realized how bad an idea this had been. The expressions of shock were priceless, even though she was rather uncomfortable with how revealing the outfit was. Let them wonder at the insanity when all of the Student Council showed up wearing crazy outfits because of a cat. And then throwing an after school party for the entire student body because of it. _Oh, wait. Milly's president. That's just par for the course._

Too late to do anything about it now, and admittedly as busy as she was maintaining and growing the Black Knights another opportunity to deal with a loose end like this might be some time in coming.

Suzaku punched in code on the pad next to the door. "Ah... It's a little unfortunate, but... There are classified materials in open view in here... Would you wait here?"

"No. Suzaku, this is not something that I will discuss out in a hallway. If it's safe enough in there to hold sensitive materials, it's safe enough for me to talk to your commander in there. The eyes of a student won't do any harm, and I'll sign any confidentiality agreement I need to afterwards."

He sighed, pressing the enter key with a dejected look. "I figured you'd say that." _Why is he so desperate to keep me from seeing an engineering unit?_

They stepped into the garage, and Suzaku led the way to a large trailer parked with the Lancelot raised in position as Lloyd and several engineers inspected the landspinner connection on the left leg. _Oh. That's why he didn't want me to see. It's the Knightmare that managed to hamper two perfectly decent plans. Don't tell me Suzaku is the-_

"Oiiii... Devicer! You need to be a little more gentle with my Lancelot. I like the data, but these engineers are complaining about the strain you put on the joints!" Lloyd jumped up, dashing away from the engineers, perhaps using Suzaku's appearance to escape their attentions, or at least redirect it towards the pilot at fault. He stopped though, as he adjusted his glasses, seeing just who was following him. "Aha... Somehow I felt this conversation was coming eventually, and while I may not be a specialist at human interaction... Is that not an odd outfit for a situation like this?"

Lelou's eyes narrowed as she saw just who Suzaku's commander was. "Oh. No wonder he recognized me. If it isn't dear Uncle Lloyd Asplund. I would call you the Mad Earl of Yorkshire. Though it seems that you're still breathing, so perhaps Half-Mad would be the more appropriate title."

Cecile wandered out from the trailer at the commotion. Blinking as she took in Suzaku's presence. "I thought you weren't coming in until this evening?" She saw Lelou, and couldn't help herself. She squealed. "Suzaku! She's adorable! How did you get her to agree to walk over here so I could see this?!"

_I'm having a rough day. Stripped, finding out that that crazy 'uncle' I'd hoped I wouldn't have to see again is in command of Suzaku's unit, finding out that Suzaku is the pilot of that white Knightmare that's done such a great job of ruining plans, and now smothered to death by that captain because I'm 'adorable'?_

Struggling, she managed to pull herself free from the Captain's embrace, and quickly readjusted the hair band to get it back into place. _I'm wearing this outfit... I may as well go all the way with it._ "Captain. A pleasure to meet you again. Would you mind though? I need to speak to... _that._ " She pointed at Lloyd with the last word.

Cecile cocked her head. "I sense a kindred spirit! How do you know Lloyd though? He doesn't get out much."

"Through my mother. She was a rather crazy Knightmare pilot that demanded he build things for her. And she tried for a while to find a human heart in him. And even went so far as to place me in his 'care' for days at a time while seeking it. I suppose if you'd like, you could join us while we catch up. You seem to be his keeper anyways, if I go off rank."

Lloyd pouted at that. "Your Highness, I have no need of a keeper!"

Cecile blinked in confusion as Lloyd called a simple student 'Your Highness.' She turned back to the cat outfit wearing girl with a confused look.

"Clearly you do, Uncle, what with blurting out my secret in front of your entire engineering unit." She sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she walked over to Cecile. "Captain, perhaps there's somewhere that we could speak in private? Big enough for the four of us. Suzaku's been in on the secret longer than even Lloyd there."

Cecile nodded as she pointed towards Lloyd's office, not that it was ever used by him. "The office there should work, and please, we prefer to go by names around here. It's Cecile, Cecile Croomey."

Lelou nodded, leading the way towards the office as Suzaku, Cecile, and Lloyd fell in behind her. _If I have to be a princess for a while, I may as well act like one, even if I'm not dressed for the occasion._ In keeping with her thoughts, she marched into the office, ignoring the messy piles of papers and technical manuals as she crossed to sit behind the desk, in what would have been Lloyd's chair. She watched as they found 'seating' Lloyd in the form of the smaller chair on the visitor's side of the desk, Cecile and Suzaku leaning against the table.

Leaning back in the surprisingly comfortable chair, Lelou looked to Cecile. "Given that you're not up to speed, let's solve that first, Miss Croomey. My name, is Lelou vi Britannia. Former Sixth Princess of the Empire." Giving a little chuckle at Cecile's expression at that. "Yes, I say former because I am actually 'dead' according to Britannian records as of the invasion of Japan. I'm certain that the Emperor knows that I am alive, but he doesn't seem to care. Considering that I have managed to remain hidden for so long. Until... _that_ recognized me. As I said earlier, my mother, the late fifth Empress, sent me to deal with him while she worked to get a new Knightmare design. I imagine that the Lancelot there is actually the child of her demands."

Cecile's expression slowly congealed into one of horror as she realized just what she'd done to a member of royalty. On the verge of giving an apology, she was interrupted by Lelou's raised hand. "Cecile, please. Treat me no different than you already have. I hated the trappings of royalty even when I was entitled to them. I am no more a princess than an average citizen now. And years under Milly Ashford's thumb has beaten the last of my pride out of me. In case you hadn't noticed what I'm wearing."

"And as for _you_ ," she turned her gaze upon Lloyd finally. "Rumors are going to fly amongst your engineers out there. You will explain the situation to them fully, but I would like to inform you now, just because I am 'only' a student does not mean that I don't have an information network. If it gets out that a princess has been found alive after being presumed dead for so many years, I will see to it that my downfall is preceded by yours."

She sighed before taking a deep breath, giving the stern look she'd picked up as a Princess. "Now... I know I said that I'm not really a princess anymore. In regards to keeping the fact only amongst your unit... Take that as an order." She chuckled as she stood, flashing them all a small smile. "Now, I know I said I wanted to have a discussion, but I'm afraid Suzaku and I have to report back to Milly so he can get changed for the festival. I imagine that I will be back at some point and will be able to answer whatever questions you may have between now and then. Let's go, Suzaku." _Let's go before I say something stupid. But maybe I can use this. For all his complaints about mother, Lloyd seemed rather attached to her. It would be helpful to draw this unit into the Black Knights. I'll have to think about how to do that._

Before the door shut behind her, she heard Lloyd's little chuckle and comment. "Not a princess, huh? She reminds me of Schneizel walking in for a surprise inspection."

_**That evening** _

_Finally... back in something reasonable._ She'd traded the ridiculous outfit for her uniform as soon as she'd been able.

Now, she just had to put the finishing touches on tonight's operation. _Of course, finishing operational plans is much easier when you aren't busy worrying about whether or not anyone will be revealing your existence and having the royal guard battering down your door in the middle of the night. What was the old line, the only way to keep a secret between two people is if one of them is dead? I'm sure there's an appropriate corollary that describes this situation perfectly._

 _Enough. Worry about that after you've managed to survive another raid. After all, if you're executed as a terrorist because you weren't careful enough in getting the Burai's moved into position... Being discovered will be the least of your worries._ She pulled out Zero's phone, dialing a number pleased that the voice at the other end had managed to set things up properly, even without the assistance of being Geassed.

Sneaking out quietly, she hustled to the train station, carrying a bag with Zero's outfit stuffed within. Normally she stashed it in a location near where they'd be carrying out the operation, but that hadn't been an option this time, sneaking into a warehouse complex regularly patrolled by the police hadn't been an option. But with the amount of Refrain that moved through here made it a prime target for her. Those that longed for the Japan of old were those who could serve the Black Knights well, provided they didn't destroy themselves through use of the drug.

 _This is too easy though... I haven't even run into a single patrol._ She shook off the fear that it could be a trap, as she hastily pulled on Zero's outfit, knowing that Kallen, Ohgi, and the others would be in position. They'd yet to fail her, barring Kururugi's interference, though that had turned out alright in the end. _Even if it is a trap. You haven't brought along a Knightmare for one of these raids before. With Kallen piloting it we should be able to make it through anything reasonable. It's not as if Cornelia would team up with drug dealers, even to catch Zero. Too much lost productivity with drugs._

Easing a door open, she crept into the warehouse, a snarl coming to her lips as she realized that there were civilians within. More than a few of them high on Refrain. That would certainly complicate things, but at least the dealers and their thugs were only as armed as anything they'd faced before. Sneaking back out the way she came, she flashed a laser towards her Black Knights, green, indicating 'go' before she added in over the radio. "Civilians are within, be careful, and watch your fire."

Acknowledgements rang over the radio as the Burai easily slid over to the door that had been decided as their breaching point. As soon as the rest had caught up, Kallen punched through the thin metal, opening a hole for them to charge through, quickly picking targets and opening fire.

Lelou watched, her HUD linked to the Burai's sensors, watching as Kallen pushed deep into the warehouse, finding the civilians. She wondered why the fiery red-head had stopped, it wasn't according to plan, but nor did it seem to be an issue as the rest of the Black Knights were able to run down the dealers that had escaped the initial confusion. Hearing more gunfire, Lelou rushed in, catching sight of Kallen's Burai having an arm blown off by a Knightmare painted in police colors. _Oh hell... Wait... It's just the one unit. Corrupt scum. This is why the Black Knights are necessary._

Kallen seemed to be having some trouble with the opponent however, slowed down by carrying a civilian. _What are you doing Kallen? Deal with the enemy, we can deal with the civilians afterwards._

Indeed, the situation seemed quite dire as the Police Knightmare shot out one of the Burai's legs, sending Kallen tumbling. It drew a knife to finish her, but finally, she seemed to recover, using her harkens to drag the enemy Knightmare into a shelf, crushing the cockpit block. While the other Black Knights rushed over to the Burai, Lelou simply walked towards it. She passed the civilian that Kallen had been carrying and heard the woman mumbling.

"I'm so glad you get to be a Britannian, Kallen. You'll not have to worry about the restrictions against us, and travel." _That's why... It's her mother..._ Lelou closed her eyes as Kallen rushed over to check on her mother. _Family... It means so much, doesn't it, Kallen?_

_**The next day** _

"Hey, Lelou. I just wanted to apologize for yesterday, about you having to speak with Lloyd and Cecile. They seem to be okay with keeping quiet, unless someone higher ranked than you directly asks if they know your whereabouts." Suzaku seemed uncharacteristically nervous as he spoke to her during lunch on the roof.

"That's alright. It was bound to happen eventually, even with the Ashford's covering for me." She and Suzaku sat alone in the Student Council room. She was busy thumbing through a magazine, Zero's masked form gracing it's cover, declaring that it knew his identity, of course all they did was speculate within. Suzaku on the other hand was busy trying to have his hand removed by Arthur.

Suzaku looked over, eyeing the magazine, and asked quietly. "You... You admire Zero and the Black Knights, don't you?"

She didn't look up from it, and simply responded, "Admire them? No. But I do think that they are a symptom of what the Empire has become. The corruption within has allowed criminals to flourish in places like the Areas, and the police are corrupt enough to allow it to occur. The Black Knights are simply delivering justice."

"If they wanted to catch criminals, they could have joined the police. Why don't they do that?"

She restrained herself from scoffing at that. "Any number of reasons. They'd have to become honorary Britannians to serve as police. And given what they do, they have too much pride to do something like that. Or perhaps they don't feel that the police are effective enough to deal with the issue."

He turned, a fire in his eyes even as Arthur batted at his hair with a paw from the platform Suzaku was kneeling by. "The police may not be effective now, but they could change them from within and make them worthy of serving in! Even if it meant swallowing your pride to join."

"And when they were in the process of changing it, they'd end up tangled in restrictions, faced with superiors that enjoyed the luxuries of deals with criminals, superiors that are likely Britannian, and are thus certainly the 'correct' party in a dispute between themselves and an honorary Britannian."

"That isn't set in stone, they could only say that after they at least make the effort to change it!" She turned, taking in his expression. She felt that there was a flicker of uncertainty on his face as he spoke, as if he were rationalizing his argument to himself. "As long as they don't try to do that first, all their talk is just being self-righteous. After all, we don't even know what standard their 'justice' is based on! It's just one-sided self-satisfaction."

She looked away from him at that. "So you would force your ideals upon others? Between your method, and the Black Knights. Given what they've done so far to reduce drug trafficking and selling human beings, I would choose the Black Knight's method. Going through the channels in a reasonable system is the right thing to do, but what if the time it took you to change the system into a reasonable system meant the death of many through the use of Refrain, or the enslavement of Japanese children to be sold like cattle in the Chinese Federation." She shook her head standing up. "Suzaku, following a system at the expense of innocents is never right." She twitched at the pained expression that he gave, but could not bring herself to take back her words, even if they had hurt a friend.

She didn't know what compelled her, but the next thing she knew, she was kneeling down next to him, wrapping her arms around him as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Suzaku. For now, let's just agree to disagree. I'll try to be a bit less close-minded about the issues with Britannia, as long as you'll try to be a bit more open-minded about those who cannot reasonably work from within the system.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, until they heard a throat being cleared. "Darn. If only I'd gotten her five minutes later an caught you two in the act, maybe I'd have some actual dirty on Lelou."

Lelou stood with a sigh, looking back at Milly. "Milly, you haven't gotten anything on me because there's nothing to get."

She looked down at Suzaku as the President pointed. "I beg to differ. He's beet red. I think he was just imagining what I was talking about."

Lelou felt her own face heating as she realized that he was looking much more embarrassed than he would have been had she only hugged him. Indeed, she thought she even saw a guilty shadow in his eyes as Milly accused him of thoughts normally reserved to her.

Milly blinked in astonishment as her eyes flicked between the embarrassed faces. "Oh... I don't believe it. I've caught the mighty Vice-President speechless? This is a day of firsts! First getting Suzaku to have dirty thoughts about said Vice-President, and then rendering her speechless with the realization that he was, and now having her getting flustered as she imagines it too? This I _have_ to blog about."

Trying desperately, and failing, to keep her thoughts from being led by the whimsical blonde, Lelou simply glared at her before dashing out of the room, running for the relative safety of her own room in the building.

_At least it keeps me away from Milly... Even if I still can't get those mental images out of my head. I will have my revenge, Milly. Someday, some how._


	11. Chapter 11

_**Tuesday, October 1st, 2017 a.t.b. 2232 hrs (Three weeks after the Rise of the Black Knights)** _

A splash echoed through the empty aquatic center. Lelou ignored it, even with the quality of the dive easily surpassing most competitive standards. Instead, she was focused entirely upon the laptop resting across her bare thighs as she rested in one of the chairs aside the pool.

The cause of her being there floated over on her back, staring up at the moon through the glass roof. "You know, Lelou. When I said I was bored and that we should go swimming, I didn't mean that we should get you into a swimsuit and only have you do what you would have done had we remained in your room."

Lelou gave a small laugh as she continued scrolling through the resumes that had been forwarded to Zero for approval. "Zero is a symbol, not a human. This much is easily doable by him, even if it's tough on the girl who has to manage it for him. So, when I'm not busy maintaining Lelou's identity, Zero needs to get huge amounts of work done. Kyoto keeps dancing, even if they've begun to send us Burais and this... Guren of theirs. The Black Knights have more than tripled in size in three weeks since our revelation." She paused on an applicant that surprised her. "Diethard Ried... A Britannian? Employed even... Why would he want to join the Black Knights... looks too proud to be a spy, I wonder if he's a radical?"

"Wonderful. So many have joined, and even more want to join." A slight chuckle sent ripples across the water. "Soon, not even 'Zero' will be able to maintain the organization alone."

Nodding at that, she shut the laptop. "And soon, the core will be ready to assume duties currently handled by Zero. It's been simpler than I thought it would be though. The sentiment seems to be, 'I hate Britannia, but I can't approve of terrorism.' "

"And so countless people support the Black Knights, who only strike criminals, and avoid civilian casualties when they do strike at Britannian military or government targets."

"Exactly, and the willingness to 'ignore' our presence, it makes it even easier for us to operate, as well as giving us access to money and equipment from groups like Kyoto." Lelou stretched, popping her back as she leaned back before getting out of the chair and hopping into the pool.

She floated on her back, gazing up at the full moon. "The Japanese can't resist a movement like this. Give them a chance to do something against Britannia, without moving into the realm of terrorism, and they'll do the rest."

"Hence the Knights of Justice act?" Lelou glanced over, the voice closer than she'd expected. _Leave it to C.C. to move silently, and not even disturbing the water._

"Act? They are. The Black Knights will live up to their mission statement. If their leader falls short of that, well, so be it. I am not working for the sake of the world. My one and only goal is to create a world where Nunnally will be safe and happy. If that means I become a Knight of Justice, or a demon, then that is what I will become."

C.C. gave her a sad smile. "You lie. You may not understand that you are, but someday you will understand. Take it from a woman who has been both in her long years. Being a demon would destroy you inside."

Turning her gaze back to the moon, Lelou didn't speak. _If that is what it took, I would sacrifice anything. Even if it meant destroying myself._ "Let's get back, I need to get ready for the delivery from Kyoto."

_**Wednesday, October 2nd, 2017 a.t.b 0112 hrs** _

Lelou strode through the warehouse that had become one of several caches in use by the Black Knights. She largely ignored the awed gazes of the new recruits, only nodding to those who managed to greet Zero.

Indeed, the delivery had been impressive. It had also limited the number of people that could make up the elusive group. After all, when they'd delivered 15 Burais, and the Guren , along with 10 million pounds in funding, to a group that they obviously didn't support entirely yet, they had to be incredibly wealthy to afford to risk an investment like that.

She found the original Knights back with the . It seemed that the new recruits gave them deference, though perhaps it was time to institute ranks to reinforce discipline. _A thought for another time, finish your business here and get home to sleep so you don't sleep through all of your classes tomorrow. You can't even claim illness like Kallen probably will._

She smothered a sigh as even the 'dependable' core was staring in complete awe at the Guren. _Yes, it's completely a Japanese Knightmare, but it's specs are insane, almost no pilot would be able to use it to its full potential._

They turned as one of the recruits came over, asking about a piece of equipment. Upon seeing Zero, they saluted, a little raggedly, but good enough for now. "Go on and help the new recruits. Kallen, stay if you would."

As the others walked to mingle amongst the recruits, Zero turned to Kallen. "I expected it from Tamaki, but everyone else seems to be acting like this is a party." At the red-head's questioning look she continued. "Kyoto is backing multiple resistance groups."

Kallen nodded, a pleased expression on her face. "Yes, which means we've finally made it in."

Lelou shook her head. "You're wrong there, Kallen. This is a test. Kyoto wants to see if we can be of use to them with proper gear."

Shrugging, she walked over to the Guren, planting a hand on its leg. "Even so, this is incredible. I doubt that Naoto... I doubt that he ever thought we would make it to this point."

"Ever the optimist I see. Catch." Zero tossed the key to the Guren over, smiling as Kallen snatched it from the air before inspecting it with confusion. "The Guren is yours, Kallen."

"Eh? Mine? But we have more people now, and you could use its defenses-"

"You are the best pilot we have, and probably the only one that can use this thing how it's supposed to be used. I'm a commander, and a little better than average pilot at best. I have a Burai with upgraded command and control capabilities. You have a reason to fight, Kallen. This is what will enable you to do so."

Ohgi walked over, carrying a paper. "Zero, we've gotten some intel, but it's from that Britannian applicant. I think it's a trap, trying to lure us out into the open. And it would be risky to contact him, even through our back channels."

Taking the paper when he held it out, she scanned it quickly. _Narita... So Cornelia is determined to crush resistance quickly. I suppose moving on the JLF's headquarters is a good move. Diethard's a newsman though... I imagine he would have the sources to get information like this._

Ohgi continued, "This is too big to just ignore though, the JLF is our greatest potential ally, whatever differences might have arisen between our groups after Kusakabe's stunt. What should we do?"

Weighing the options in her head, she responded after a moment. "I think we're going to go hiking this weekend. The Narita mountains are nice this time of year, or so I've heard."

Ohgi couldn't quite suppress a smile at that. "Alright, I'll start making arrangements and have them ready for your approval in the usual way."

Lelou nodded, looking to Ohgi and Kallen. "Kallen, take some time to get used to the Guren before you leave, but I want you well rested for our trip this weekend. We'll need you. I'm going to slip out early, I'll look at your plans and contact you tomorrow evening, Ohgi."

They nodded, giving quick salutes before Zero turned, disappearing into the darkness of the ill-lit warehouse.

_**Saturday, October 6th, 2017 a.t.b 0530 hrs** _

Lelou panted as she made the off-trail climb. Fog blanketed the mountain, hiding the morning sun from view as she checked her position on the GPS once more, incredibly glad for the amenities she'd had built in for Zero's suit.

And wishing that she'd put in one more, something to deal with the cold. Climbing faster, hoping to warm up, she tried to stay low, on the lookout for what she knew must be around. At least she hoped that the JLF was careful enough to plant lookouts, but if they weren't, it would make her job all the easier.

_This really isn't the best idea... but it's the only one that I'm sure will work. Cornelia's plan isn't difficult to figure out, the very geography of the mountain dictates what she's going to be able to do. But she won't have much in the way of intelligence on what the JLF is going to be capable of._

_Unfortunately that holds true for me as well. I can just hope that their sentries are overconfident after years of Clovis neglecting to root them out._ She froze as she saw the little building on a ridge, little patches of snow surrounding it. _They're worse than I figured they'd be. That hut can't even be considered a cabin. Let's see if they even pay any attention out of those windows._ She stood, walking purposefully up to the door, not so much as receiving a warning. _Please tell me that they aren't in right now, or that this is a decoy. This is just pathetic!_

Shaking her head, she opened the door, to find two astonished faces staring back at her from a game of Go. Opening the slot in her mask, she ordered the JLF sentries, "Just ignore my presence and any unusual activity out here." Still bemused at how complacent the JLF was, she watched as they nodded, going back to their game.

"P-1, you have a go. Move on up to waypoint two and await my signal." She pulled off her mask, giving a little smile as she pulled out a copy of 'The Art of War,' flipping to the page she'd marked earlier, the comment on having your troops fight 'in death ground.' _Perhaps underhanded, but it's necessary. The Black Knights still think like a resistance group. They will learn that they are capable of so much more, even victory against all odds._

She sighed, hearing the chatter from them relayed to her mask even as it sat next to her. Tamaki complaining as usual, particularly when neither Ohgi nor Kallen had any idea of what Zero was up to. _Why have I put up with his insolence this long? Undisciplined fool demanding knowledge that he might leak? Questioning Zero's orders at every turn despite the results they give each and every time._

She looked at the time, 05:50. _Good, we're ahead of schedule. They'll get the equipment in place and we'll have time to spare before Cornelia makes her move._ Glancing out the window, she caught sight of something she hadn't been expecting, C.C. was outside of the hut, gazing at a patch of snow.

Lelou stood, grabbing the mask as she made her way outside, calling out to her accomplice. "And what are you doing here?"

Kneeling down, she drug the sleeves of her prisoner outfit over the snow, lazily calling back. "I remember saying that we're in this together, and that I was going to help you. So here I am, and you will need protection, with a plan as crazy as this one."

"So now you're my guardian, and critic of a plan that will work precisely because no one would think of it, much less how to defend against it?"

Lelou's eye twitched in annoyance as the green-haired woman answered with a question. "Lelou, why are you Lelou?" _Insufferable woman. I would be rid of her if I didn't owe her so much for this Geass._

"And now you want to discuss philosophy?"

"You changed your family name to Lamperouge, but kept Lelou as your name. You're soft. Unable to let go of the past like that."

Her eyes narrowed at those words. "Our past is what makes us who we are. I keep mine so I remember what I'm fighting for. You go too far in getting rid of your past, C.C. isn't even a human name, nevermind being a fake."

C.C. looked back abruptly, standing as amber eyes met violet, her expression was indecipherable. "Lelou, do you know why snow is white?" She waited a moment, before continuing as Lelou shook her head. "Because... It has forgotten what color it's supposed to be."

She frowned at that, wondering just what C.C. had been through, but decided to not press the issue. "Well, if you intend to help, keep an eye on the sentries in there while I head back down to retrieve my Burai. Had I known they'd be so incompetent I would have just ridden it right up to the door."

She stopped as she got a view of the city at the foot of the mountain. _I hope that they're wise enough to listen to the evacuation warnings I've rigged. If not..._ She shuddered, though it had nothing to do with the unseasonably cold weather.

_**0650 hrs** _

Pulling her mask back on, Lelou opened the hatch to her Burai, giving a nod of approval as the excavators ripped into the mountainside. She walked over to Ohgi, giving him a nod as he saluted.

"Zero, are you really going to do it? We haven't got the numbers to be able to fight Cornelia yet." She didn't like that he was questioning her, but at least his tone was steady. Not asking out of fear, merely out of his own tactical assessment. _He may end up a worthy commander in his own right if I can get him to become more flexible. Either way, he's certainly a candidate for second in command because of his ability to organize. He followed the my directions in every particular, and he's even ahead of schedule._

"Cornelia's forces are among the best Britannia has to offer, and certainly the best stationed within Japan. If we can defeat her here, we will show that the Black Knights are a force to be reckoned with." _It will also lead to reprisals and harsh reciprocation by the Britannians, which will only lead to greater support for us. We may not be ready to defeat the Empire yet, but soon we will be. And sooner than anyone here would imagine._

"So that's why we're cooperating with the JLF?" Ohgi's tone did turn down with discomfort at the thought of working with the group from which Kusakabe sprang.

"What was that? Do you not believe in me anymore, Ohgi?" _I am getting rather tired of these conversations, though I suppose it's to be expected, this will be our first real strike against Britannia's forces._

"I was the one who asked you to lead us Zero. I still believe in you. I'm just... not sure about this."

Zero gave a little chuckle, turning to face Ohgi. "If you believe in me, then there is only one answer to give. Trust in Zero, and Zero shall deliver another miracle."

She was distracted as a message flickered on her HUD, a report regarding the Britannian forces having surrounded the mountain, the time for the commencement of the operation set at 0730. Standing steady she continued watching the Black Knights at work, until the excavators finally finished drilling. The minutes slowly ticked by as Zero gave no new orders, and she could see the tension growing in the expressions on their faces. And then she heard it, just as the clock turned from 0729 to 0730, Sutherlands poured out from railcars, tearing through the city as they made their way to the mountain. At the same time, air transports were dropping Knightmares and sealing every possible route of escape.

In a mere two minutes, the mountain was completely encircled by over a hundred Britannian units, with the Black Knights trapped within along with the JLF. The shocked expressions were clear, and then she saw the fear beginning to form. _Soon they'll realize that there is no escape, and then Sun Tzu's words will come to life. They will fight as they have never fought before. And Cornelia seems to have forgotten the lesson regarding leaving your enemy an escape route, and then crushing them as they use it. A truly trapped foe can be... Unpredictable._

She pushed the button to trigger the evacuation alarms in the city just as Tamaki turned with an angry expression on his face. "You've gotta be kidding, Zero! They've surrounded us, we've got no way out!"

She smiled. "Precisely. We're cut off! The only way to survive now is to fight!"

Tamaki pointed wild-eyed at the Knightmares charging up the mountain. "Fight head on against that when we're surrounded?"

She was a bit surprised when Sugiyama joined in though, he'd seemed a bit more levelheaded than that. "We're facing Cornelia's forces! They're stronger than anyone we've fought with before!"

"That's correct, so it would be a miracle if we defeat them."

Ohgi turned at Zero's words, demanding to know just what he was doing, leading them into a trap like this.

"Even messiahs need to perform miracles to be acknowledged. Which means that the Black Knights need to work a miracle here, don't we?"

Tamaki snapped at that. "Miracles don't come cheap damn you! I knew it was crazy to make you our leader! It should be me!" He slipped his assault rifle of his shoulder, working to bring it up to aim at Zero.

Lelou drew her own pistol, the red dot of the laser sight hovering over Tamaki's heart while his weapon was still pointed at the ground. He froze, and so she flipped the pistol in hand, holding it by the slide as she spoke. "We have no path to retreat from. If you think that you can win without me, someone, anyone, shoot me." Pausing, she took in the shocked expressions before continuing, now shouting so that all of the Black Knights could hear. "Since you've joined me, you have two choices. Either live with me, or die with me!"

The silence was broken by the sounds of distant explosions. She heard Tamaki's surly voice. "Fine, do what you want! You're the leader."

"Thank you, I appreciate it. Now, into your Burais. We have Britannians to defeat."

She smiled as they complied, and readily enough despite the confrontation. She hopped into her own, removing her mask as she took in the tactical situation. The JLF was being pushed back, and quickly. Cornelia's forces were in an excellent tactical position despite assaulting the high ground, but it was easy to read, and they were going precisely where she wanted them, and luckily for her, she wasn't even fearful of killing Cornelia by accident, she was out of the danger zone, holding position.

Replacing the mask as she watched Cornelia's troops closing in on the supposed location of the JLF base she opened the channel to all of the Black Knights. _I really should install this modulator into my radios... It's a bit annoying having to wear this even in a Knightmare. Things to do list, Lelou. For now you've got a battle to fight._ "All preparations are complete. All Black Knights, prepare to move out! We're going to launch a surprise attack on the Britannians from our position on the summit here. On my order, charge down the path indicated on your maps. The objective of this operation is the capture of Second Princess Cornelia!"

She smiled as she watched Kallen mounting the Guren. Switching to a private channel, she ordered. "Use the Radiant Wave Surger on the third electrode. It will clear the path for us, but move back as soon as it's done emitting, I don't want you caught up as collateral damage."

Kallen acknowledged as she moved the Guren into position, placing the clawed hand upon the electrode and activating the weapon. She jumped back quickly, as they all watched, wondering just what was supposed to happen.

Frowning, Lelou looked at the clock, it was taking longer than it should have, but then she saw steam rising from the mountainside, and then rumbling that felt little different from an earthquake. The rumbling was followed by the ear shattering bang of fracturing rock. And then they simply watched, waiting for Zero's order as what seemed like half of the mountain's summit reared up before sliding down, swatting away everything in its path. Trees, boulders, a few unfortunate JLF units, and especially tens of the Britannian Knightmares that lay between them and their objective, the Viceroy.

She'd accomplished her goal, the path to her elder sister was clear, only a few Knightmares lay between her and questioning one who might know something about her mother's death. And yet, Lelou felt hollow as the landslide swept down the mountain faster and larger than she'd anticipated, and how much of the city it ended up engulfing. _That wasn't enough time to evacuate... I gave as much as I could, but I didn't imagine it would be that destructive. The chain reaction must have... no... the pressure the water was under. I didn't account for that being able to prolong the reaction. A simple error like that and you've probably gone and killed innocents that would have gotten away._

 _Enough! Cornelia is there, and cut off. We must take her!_ "All units! Charge! Cornelia's unit will only be getting minimal reinforcements until they can regroup! Defeat them and take Cornelia, and victory will be ours!"

She smiled at the eager cheers coming from the Black Knights as they sped down the mountain with her. _Burn the bridges, and over the precipice. Classical tactics remain effective._ She blinked as a number of Sutherlands appeared, sending two Burai's toppling as their pilots ejected.

"Fight me! Zero! Fight Jeremiah Gottwald!"

She chuckled as he called out on all frequencies. She couldn't help it, she replied. "It's been a while, they let you remain in the army? I'm afraid I don't have time to play with you right now, my dear Orange."

The howl of inarticulate rage that followed was only interrupted by his charging forwards towards her Burai. Kallen arrived to stop him, easily knocking aside his weapon as she placed the Guren between Gottwald and Zero.

Switching to his melee weapons, he rushed in, his every swing easily countered by the nimble Guren dodging or parrying easily. Eager to finish the fight before the other Sutherlands joined in, Kallen reached out, snagging Gottwald's head with the Guren's right hand thanks to its extra extension just before she pulled the trigger on the Surger. The flash of the escape rockets igniting as Gottwald ejected signaled his defeat before his Sutherland exploded.

"Zero! Go on ahead, I'll deal with these guys! Like you said, Cornelia's the objective. We need to move fast!"

Lelou watched as the Guren danced with another Sutherland, easily dispatching it after batting away its attacks as if they were mere annoyances. "Alright, mop up here and hurry to your designated area, Kallen. The rest of you, follow me, we're going after Cornelia!"

She winced as she heard casualty reports coming in from the infantry, as well as watching as Burai signals disappeared here and there. _If you survive this battle, you will be a true soldier, a member of the Black Knights. An army that will have the strength to defeat Britannian forces head on in a war._

They ran into two Sutherlands that had managed to find something of a good defensive position, and were putting up quite the resistance. Someone suggested calling Kallen over to help. Zero promptly crushed that thought. _If we call her over, the plan falls apart. This isn't good though, we're within tolerances right now, but we're steadily losing ground in terms of time. We may have to deal with her Royal Guard at this rate._

That fear was followed by a report that assuaged it. Cornelia had come under attack, and from a JLF unit. _One of them figured out what I'm after. Clever, whoever it is. They'll be able to hold off the royal guard for us._

She smiled as the JLF seemed to recover from the shock of having the mountain coming down around them, their forces rallying to strike hard at the remaining Britannian forces. "Alright, looks like the job we came this way for has been handled by the JLF, fall back, we're taking an alternate route to the target point."

Neither of the Sutherlands followed as the Black Knights withdrew, but she used a smokescreen to make sure that they wouldn't be able to easily tell which way that they were going. They were speeding towards the trench that she had ordered Kallen to, the trench that she was certain Cornelia was now speeding down to link up with her right flank.

"Zero, I've got Cornelia stopped just like you said. Looks like she's going to fight before we can capture her." Grinning at Kallen's report, she tried hard to remember not to celebrate victory before all was over.

"Excellent work, Kallen, let her fight, but we need her alive. We're almost there, to help her see reason through numbers leveled against her. Just hold out till then."

Pushing their Burais to the limit, they arrived just in time to see Cornelia's customized Gloucester seemingly dancing with the Guren, each easily trading powerful blows that would have easily disabled a Burai, and dodging with incredible speed that gave light to both Kallen's and Cornelia's skill behind the controls of a Knightmare.

Firing a few warning shots at Cornelia when the two separated far enough, Lelou hit the broadcast button, calling out to her elder sister. "Are you listening, Cornelia? I think we'll call this checkmate. I'd like you to surrender to us, and then we may celebrate our reunion. I have some things that I would like to discuss with you as well. As I'm sure you well know, your reinforcements won't make it here in time, they're being delayed by the JLF and Black Knights."

She sighed as the defiant reply came from Cornelia. "Don't be a fool, Zero. All I have to do is defeat that one, and I'll be able to fall back." She made the mistake of charging Kallen head on, giving the red-head the opportunity to disarm Cornelia, literally, the Surger destroying her lance and the Gloucester's arm as Lelou raised her gun, destroying Cornelia's own gun."

"Coward! You would shoot someone from behind? Have you no honor?"

"Honor? Honor has no place on the battlefield, Viceroy. If you emerge victorious, you are righteous, the vanquished the craven scum. And would you not call your own plan dishonorable at heart? An attack with no warning is no different from shooting an unsuspecting enemy in the back."

"I will not surrender, Zero. As an Imperial Princess, I shall fight till my last breath."

"So you choose the fool's path." Lelou watched as Cornelia charged Kallen despite being weaponless. She trusted Kallen to obey the order that she was to be taken alive. The ground rumbled though as trees and rocks exploded, a cloud of dust hiding the Guren and the Gloucester from view.

Looking on as the cloud began to clear, she saw that white and gold unit she'd seen before, both as Zero, and as Lelou. Clenching her jaw, she looked on in horror as Suzaku tried to bring yet another plan down. _Damn it Suzaku! Not now! Why couldn't you have waited just two more minutes?!_

"Kallen! Take the white one! Try not to destroy it, it will be a nice prize that we can use!" She twitched as she realized what she'd just done. _What the hell are you doing letting your feelings interfere with what you have to do?!_

The fight began, the Lancelot firing with that overpowered rifle, Kallen easily gliding between the shots with the grace of a dancer. Lelou would have loved to continue watching, but Cornelia interrupted by rushing at her and the two Burai's with her. They were less attentive, likely distracted by the Guren and Lancelot dueling, and were disabled by Cornelia's slash harkens.

Cursing her luck, Lelou avoided Cornelia's continued shots, but it was easy to tell that her sister was a much better pilot, even missing an arm and all but weaponless she was pushing the Black Knight leader back. She saw the Guren falling down a cliff after destroying the Lancelot's sword. "Kallen! Are you alright?"

A groan came through before Kallen collected herself. "Y-yeah, but the Guren's arm is damaged, I can't use the Surger."

 _Damn it all! Why did you tell her to hold back against him?! It's my foolishness that's led to this failure._ "To all Black Knights! Fall back to the escape point! We've lost the advantage, this will just turn into a war of attrition at this rate. We've dealt a heavy blow, now let's make good our escape before they manage to regroup!" Using her own harkens to climb a cliff, Lelou looked back, watching as Cornelia's Gloucester finally collapsed, running out of energy. _Damn it, and now she's going to send Suzaku after me!_

She pushed the Burai to its limits, but it wasn't enough. The Lancelot just had too much of a speed advantage. She fired back at him, her mind flashing to the first time she'd been fleeing him in Shinjuku. That hadn't been quite in her favor either until he'd broken off to save a falling civilian. The Burai jerked, collapsing and rolling as Suzaku shot off one of its legs. Lelou pulled the ejection handle as soon as possible, praying that it would land her far enough away to hide.

The hatch was lodged against a rock formation though, wasting precious time as she had to squeeze through a narrow gap. It was far too late though, Suzaku's Lancelot stood, towering over her, that never to be sufficiently damned rifle pointing directly at her.

 _There is no escape. Suzaku... He would shoot if I ran. But he owes me a debt, so he will not kill me outright. He wants me to surrender._ Her thoughts were confirmed as Suzaku's voice called out. "Remove the mask, and surrender, Zero."

Too many things were running through her mind, she couldn't formulate a decent plan. And so she grabbed at a passing thought. One that might open up an avenue of escape. The only option that wouldn't lead to her death.

And so she did as he asked. One hand reached up, the rear folding up to allow her to pull it off even as her hair spilled out behind her, the black strands fluttering in the wind. She only wondered what would be going through his mind when she removed it from her face, holding it in hand and letting her arm fall to her side, looking up at him with defiance shining in her eyes, her other hand reaching up to pull down the fabric that had hidden her neck. "What now, Suzaku?"


	12. Chapter 12

_**Saturday, October 6th, 2017 a.t.b 0716 hrs** _

The day had started out easy enough, the ASEEC was called out to be part of the reserves during the operation to find the JLF's headquarters in the Narita mountains. He had no qualms about the operation. The JLF was the remnants of the old Japanese army that refused to obey the governmental orders to surrender after all.

_It doesn't really surprise me that the Viceroy didn't bother pulling us out of the reserves either. In her, Zero has it right. She only accepts those who prove themselves, but she won't give a non-native Britannian the opportunity to prove themselves and their loyalty. Even if Prince Schneizel has asked that the Lancelot be put into battle whenever possible._

He twitched at his train of thought. Questioning the system was _not_ his usual behavior. _Come on, Suzaku, focus. Don't worry about the problems, there will come an opportunity to fix them._ He lightly smacked his cheeks as he refocused on running the Lancelot's system checks. He heard the gasps of surprise coming from behind and down, and he spun in the chair to look down at Lloyd and Cecile as they focused on their monitors. "Is something wrong?"

Lloyd's easy reply came back with a shake of his head. "Not anything that we've gotten any orders to do anything about just yet." _Which doesn't really answer my question... Lelou was right in warning me about him. He is a bit... out there._ Suzaku gave a quiet chuckle at that. He supposed he shouldn't be too surprised at who Lelou knew, but that she knew his commander, and apparently as well as she did was interesting. Especially since she'd let him in on the secret to knowing how he showed anger. _'It's a subtle thing, but watch his eyes. He'll get a slight tic in his left eye. When he does that he's angry.'_

Suzaku turned back to the crazed scientist, watching his eyes as he called in requests for permission to deploy the Lancelot to help deal with the 'situation.' And then he saw it. At least he thought he did from a distance of about 5 meters and another two higher than Lloyd, he couldn't be certain, but he felt something off about the Earl. What solidified his anxiety about whatever was going on was Cecile's expression. He'd not seen her truly angry at anyone other than Lloyd, but he saw the familiar fire in her eyes and was just glad that the other side of the comm link was safely out of range of her fists.

Lloyd pouted as the other end terminated the link before he looked up at Suzaku. "You're likely the best devicer for the Lancelot in all of Area 11... Why weren't you born Britannian? They're so stuck in their ideals that when a landslide destroys most of our forces they still won't send in a machine that has proven its worth, just because the pilot isn't one of their precious arrogant Britannian comrades."

Cecile's eyes went wide as Lloyd said that. She looked to Suzaku and saw his expression falling. The sound of a fist striking flesh followed by the familiar sound of the unreasonable Earl's pained moan as he rubbed what would be an impressive bruise. "Suzaku. Don't listen to him. We'll be ordered to move when we're needed. They're just trying to regroup because of the confusion of the sudden landslide and the appearance of the Black Knights."

 _Zero is here, working with the JLF this time?_ Suzaku shook his head, putting those thoughts aside as he refocused on making the Lancelot ready in every way possible. Especially when Cecile linked his headset into the combat chatter coming from the mountain, those who had escaped the landslide were being swept away by a new Knightmare and Burais bearing the Black Knight's insignia.

Finally, the order had come in, after the Viceroy was attacked from behind, split from her guards by a unit from the JLF. The Sub-Viceroy had overruled her 'advisers' who had continually denied the ASEEC's requests to send out the Lancelot.

He had smiled at the girl who had appeared on his display. She returned it before it widened as he mouthed the name that she had demanded he call her in their first meeting. He acknowledged her orders to rescue her older sister.

And so he'd charged up the mountain on one of Lloyd's new toys, apparently an offshoot of the Float system that he and Cecile had actually managed to get in working order. The boards had let him flash up the path of the landslide. He'd heard the Viceroy calling out over the radio to her Knight, Guilford that she would not surrender. _How is it that Cecile's sending me what's obviously a private channel? On second thought... I might be better off not knowing. There's no time left though... I need to get through those trees and quick, the VARIS maybe?_

He didn't bother asking permission, he simply did it. Pulling the trigger with the VARIS set to max power and area effect, a channel was carved in the mountainside and through the trees. Using the boards to tear through it, he emerged to find the new Knightmare staring down the Viceroy even as three Burais stood at her back.

He obeyed the orders that Cornelia gave to deal with the new model. Especially after she'd just used her battered machine to take down two of the Burais. "Yes, Your Highness!"

And then he'd charged the new unit,wondering what it's abilities were with that clawed right hand. He'd brought up the VARIS, pulling the trigger twice. The red machine sped backwards, spinning around each shot with a speed he hadn't imagined possible out of anything aside from the Lancelot. It's pilot had clearly even seen the shock that had caused him to hesitate.

The red machine flashed in towards him, slashing the dagger in it's left at the Lancelot's head. Suzaku jumped back just barely dodging the swipe. It had been a feint though. The clawed right had come flashing in from his left, forcing him to bring up Lloyd's new board to deflect the blow.

It had only grabbed it though. Suzaku blinked as a red flash appeared, seeing the board buckling and bubbling under whatever it was. He quickly purged them and opened the ground between them as the resulting explosion obscured his view of the red knightmare. He took the slight reprieve to draw one of the MVS swords, keeping the VARIS ready in the Lancelot's left hand. And then he charged.

 _Probably not the wisest thing against an enemy that seems to specialize in close quarters, but it will also be unexpected with having only used the VARIS before this._ He grinned as he saw the Knightmare use its slash harkens to leap up, out of his path. He'd succeeded in startling them at least, but they were good. He'd hoped to end the fight with the Black Knight with that move, but it wasn't to be. He followed, chasing after the red Knightmare. It rushed him before he landed, but he'd been expecting that.

Bringing the VARIS up, he flashed off a few quick shots. None hit, but they sent the machine sliding back, closer to a cliff face. Sensing an opportunity, he charged again, dodging a kick that flashed out, and pulling back only just enough, as the tips of those murderous claws sparked as they drug over the Lancelot's armor. It had overextended with the last move though, the machine off balanced by the risky grab. Suzaku slashed the sword across, aiming at the emitter on that hand, but the red light flashed again, just before his sword impacted. The blade was stopped, mere inches from slicing through the red Knightmare's hand. And then it began to bubble and buckle just as the board had. _That's not good..._

The sword shattered, but not after having transferred enough kinetic energy to send the Black Knight staggering backwards, at the very edge of the cliff. There was no time to draw his other sword, so he brought the VARIS up, firing at point blank range. He heard the astonished cries from Lloyd and Cecile as the projectile was stopped. It burst with small explosion, but he saw the sparks coming from the enemy's arm before it toppled over, falling down the cliff.

He hesitated a moment, contemplating chasing them down, but decided against it. He needed to check on the Viceroy. Hurrying back to her location, he saw her machine collapse as one Burai with a curious ornament on its head withdrew.

"I'm fine! Go after Zero!" _That one's Zero then?_ He acknowledged the order, and took off after the fleeing Burai. He too recalled their first meeting, how Zero had been fleeing in Shinjuku. This time would be different though. Raising the VARIS, he aimed at Zero's leg. He owed him that much. He could not simply kill the man who had saved his life.

He chased after the cockpit as it ejected from the fallen machine. _Bad luck, Zero. You might have gotten away were it not for the terrain you landed in._ Capturing Zero now gave rise to conflicted feelings. Sure, this was his duty, to defeat the enemies of the Empire, which Zero proved himself to be with his murder of an Imperial Prince. Every single action that followed though was one that benefited the Japanese.

_That's the part about this that you hate, isn't it, Suzaku? Zero, whatever harm he has done to the Empire, has done more good for your people than you. All you've done is loyally serve the Empire that is oppressing your people, even when that empire has shown no loyalty in return. Even so, I must do my duty. Emotions will only get in the way._

He brought the VARIS up, pointing it at Zero when he'd finally managed to free himself from the cockpit block. Suzaku took a deep breath before he pushed the button for his voice to carry over the external speakers, even as Lloyd and Cecile were congratulating him in his ear. "Remove the mask and surrender, Zero."

Zero hesitated a moment, but just as Suzaku was about to repeat the order, the Black Knight's leader lifted a hand to the mask. He watched as waves of hair spilled from the mask, blowing in the morning wind. And then the mask was removed, revealing a face still half covered. It was enough though, he knew the eyes that were signaling defiance. And judging by the surprised chuckle from Lloyd, he did as well.

Zero lifted his... no _her_ other hand, pulling the mask down to reveal her face before she asked, "What now, Suzaku?"

Suzaku froze. He was lost in the violet eyes that his display was faithfully recreating, as if she were standing right in front of him. He saw the face of the little girl, forced to grow up before her time not just by her status as a Princess, but by the death of her Mother, and having to raise her crippled little sister. He remembered the last time he'd seen her face in the aftermath of Britannia's victory. A face that should have been smiling as she played with her friends and little sister, a face that was twisted in burning fury as she swore destruction upon her homeland.

Seven years later, he was in the service of that which she vowed to destroy. And Lelou, had begun her work. _And she's done greater good towards the Japanese in the course of her goal._

He couldn't speak, and Lloyd and Cecile seemed equally stunned. Questions that he wanted to ask her ran through his head, but he knew what was demanded of him. The system would demand the death of his best friend.

That was unacceptable. He knew the tortures that awaited her if she were delivered into the hands of the Viceroy. Finally finding the ability to speak once more, he spoke over the radio to the Lancelot's trailer. "F-forgive me, My Lord, I'm afraid Zero managed to escape."

Llyod's face appeared as he opened a communication's window on the Lancelot's main display. Cecile stood right next to him, a worried expression on her face. The scientist was uncharacteristically serious though. "Are you certain of that, Warrant Officer Kururugi? Do you have no method of beginning the pursuit?"

"I'm afraid not, My Lord. I seem to have expended more energy fighting that new model than I thought I would." Suzaku's voice steadily grew stronger as he continued the lie.

"I see, that's what we're reading here, Kururugi. Await resupply there, we will get another energy filler there as soon as the Viceroy is recovered so we can begin the search for Zero." He gave a relieved sigh as Cecile nodded at Lloyd's words.

A part of him rebelled at this idea though. He viciously battered down the part of his conscience that had abandoned all but loyalty to the system. _Giving up Lelou... That... I can't do it. I won't do it._ He opened the hatch, grasping the winch line and letting himself be lowered down.

He walked towards her, a sad expression upon his face. "Go, Lelou. I've reported that you escaped. I'm out of energy and can't move. We will begin pursuit once the Viceroy is safe. Don't you dare get caught. I expect that Lloyd, Cecile, and I will have more than just a few questions for you. You will answer them. Or I will hunt you down and do what duty requires of me."

He twitched as she walked towards him. The defiance had faded, and her eyes shined with unshed tears. Pausing mere inches from him as she looked up into his eyes. Lelou nodded before she did something he hadn't expected. She reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him down a little ways.

Suzaku's eyes went wide as Lelou lifted herself up onto her toes, her lips brushing against his as a tear finally rolled down her cheek. "Th-thank you, Suzaku. I will answer anything you want to ask... But for now, I can't let this gift you've given me go to waste. I need to get the Black Knights out of here. I'll meet with Lloyd and Cecile on Monday when I get back to school."

And then she was gone. Nothing more than a black cloak disappearing into the morning forest. He watched her go. And then wondered aloud, "What the hell have I done?"

"What indeed!" He swore mentally as Lloyd's voice chirped in his ear. "I suppose we've got an issue now, our pilot has just let Zero go... and we know Zero's identity. What do we do with this?"

Cecile cut in, silencing his rhetorical questioning. "For now... Let's just wait until we can ask her. After all, we know where she'll be returning to, where she has to return to if what you've told us about the other Princess is true, Suzaku."

 _Why... Why Lelou? Why are_ you _Zero? Anyone else... it could have been anyone! But it had to be you._ And then he remembered the kiss, the feel of her lips upon his. Growling in frustration at himself, he headed back to the Lancelot. At least neither Cecile nor Lloyd had voiced opposition to his actions. _Yeah, we'll see how long it takes them to arrest you again. If not for helping Lelou get away, they'll arrest you for failing to capture Zero, even if the report mentions the lack of energy._

He blinked at that thought and realized what Lelou had done. _She planted the seed of doubt. And now I'm even being cynical enough to realize it's futile to try and dig it out. Not at what doing so would cost._

_**Saturday, October 6th, 2017 a.t.b 0915 hrs** _

Lelou was panting as she finally made it to the rendezvous point. What should have only taken a few minutes had stretched almost to an hour thanks to the loss of her Burai. She was pleased as the sentries challenged her, only to apologize profusely when they realized they were confronting Zero.

Ohgi had done a good job as well, aside from the sentries everyone else was in the process of readying their equipment or even beginning to move out of the battlefield. Finding him, Zero nodded at his salute. "Zero, the Britannians are slowly retreating, and the JLF has broken off combat for the most part. All of our remaining Knightmares are accounted for, and we're moving out according to the original plan."

"Good work, Ohgi. How bad are our losses?"

The former resistance leader seemed pleased by the concern that Zero was showing for his troops. "Not as bad as they could have been. We lost seven Burais and two pilots and the Guren was damaged, the infantry fared well, even against enemy armor. We have 16 dead and another 30 wounded. Only a few are critical, and we expect most of them to make it. Total, 18 dead and 33 wounded. Comparing that to the estimates of Britannian losses, around 70 Knightmares, 12 tanks, and approximately 50 infantry, this is a complete victory for us. How the JLF fared, we don't know. We weren't able to get enough data on their positions before the operation began."

She frowned at the numbers, though given that for most it was their first brush with combat, they'd done remarkably well. Their enemy had been well trained and disciplined, even with the chaos of the landslide they should not be underestimated, and yet the Black Knights had come out on top. "I will not turn it into a numbers game, we may have victory, but each of our Knights killed is more harm to us than each enemy killed. If only because Britannia has more to spare than us. Good work though, let's expedite the retreat, we shouldn't linger here."

"Of course, Zero."

_**Monday, October 8th, 2017 a.t.b 1632 hrs** _

_Well, here we are Lelou, Suzaku hasn't spoken to you all day, he only grabbed you after class and drug you to the University. Now we get to see if they turn you in for treason, or decide to join you._

She sat behind Lloyd's desk, Suzaku leaning back against the door, Cecile in the visitor's chair, and Lloyd, bent over the coffee table as he scratched away on a scratch piece of paper appearing wholly uninterested in the situtation.

"Why?"

The question brought her up from her thoughts as she looked over to Kururugi. "Why? Because Britannia cannot be changed without an outside force acting upon it. Not in time to save those supporting its corruption. I've seen the Empire, from the viewpoint of royalty, as a simple citizen, and I think that I've even learned what it means to be a Number in the Empire. I know how the royal lifestyle is supported by forcing the burden onto those 'beneath us.' That is why."

Cecile squirmed in the chair as Suzaku shouted back. "And that is why you are fighting, because the system won't change fast enough? You haven't even tried to change it!"

Lelou glared her defiance back, but kept her tone even, refusing to shout in turn. "Of course I haven't tried to change it, doing so would have marked my sister and I for death; not simply exile. Suzaku, the majority of the Royal family doesn't give the slightest care to anything but their own position. Why do you think court intrigue invariably leads to a death or two every year among the royals? The entire system is rotten, and it needs to be dismantled so that one may be built to support the will of the citizens, not simply the nobility and the royal family!"

Cecile held up her hands in a placating gesture, though one that wasn't entirely necessary as Suzaku's gaze fell from Lelou's. "I generally prefer not to go into political subjects, particularly in regards to my feelings on the Empire's policies, but Your Highness, is treason truly the way to change things for the better?"

"There was a traitor once, during Washington's Rebellion, who spoke, 'Occasionally the tree of Liberty must be watered with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants.' Liberty has withered for all but Britannians under the Empire. And so there is no interest in doing anything about it amongst all but a few enlightened individuals. Under Britannian rule, the tree has received more than its fair share of the blood of patriots. The time has come to give it a few tyrants, to see if that will return that which Britannia had no right to take."

Lloyd looked up from his paper, adjusting his glasses as he peered Lelou. "Oho... Jefferson? A dangerous man to have been reading. Still, pretty words aren't much of a reason for us to not turn you into the royal guard, either as Zero, or as a wayward princess."

"No matter what reason I give you, Uncle Lloyd, it won't be good enough. I want to. I must destroy what Britannia has become for the sake of a better world. People are not meant to be toys in the hands of a few, tossed out or killed if they no longer serve a purpose in the grand inheritance game. Britannia grows stagnant, the EU and the Chinese Federation feel safe and will not reign in the excesses of Britannia. I have come to show the world that Britannia is not all powerful, to show that humanity can go higher than their current station no matter the adversity leveled against them."

"Hmm... Such a thing will not earn you friends amongst your most likely allies. Neither the EU, nor the Chinese Federation would take kindly to the idea that power resides outside the hands of the government." He placed his chin in his hands as he leaned down on the table.

Lelou smiled at that. "I know. My goal is not solely to destroy Britannia, but to take humanity to a new level. I plan to create a new nation, founded upon the ideal that the people have the power. As I am in the process of showing them that they do. I took a sample of the Japanese people, and turned them into the Black Knights, a force that was able to stand against Cornelia's battle hardened forces, and turn her back."

She looked up at the ceiling, a small smile on her lips. "The world is ready to be shown that monarchies and oligarchies need not be the way of the world. And that is what we will do. The Black Knights will bring about a new era, not by destroying the old, but by showing the people that _they_ have the power to change their situation."

Cecile piped in quietly. "And you will be the leader of this new nation?"

The ASEEC captain twitched at Lelou's vehement response. "No! A leader will be elected by the citizens of the nation, at most I will remain the leader of the Black Knights."

 _She approves... She's trying hard to hide it, but I can see it in her eyes. She doesn't think it's a bad idea. Maybe-_ Her thoughts were cut off as Lloyd spoke again. "Alright, then what becomes of us? We who are a part of your nearest foe."

"That depends on you. I will not make an ultimatum to you. I have neither the right, nor the ability to enforce one against you. I would merely ask you this: Would you continue serving an Empire that has thrown away its credibility by actively slaughtering those under its control because of one man's ambitions and desires to protect his position?"

She paused a moment, looking almost pleadingly at Suzaku. "That's why I killed my older brother Clovis. He murdered so many innocent people because of that girl we saw, Suzaku. And he would never have been brought to justice. At worst he would have been recalled to Pendragon and given a slap on the wrist!"

He looked away, refusing to meet her gaze, causing her to slump back down in the chair before she looked to Lloyd and Cecile. "I will not question your loyalties, I only ask that you question why you hold them. The rule of the few over the many is the present, but it will become the past, whether I am alive to see it happen or not. The Black Knights have shown the people what they are capable of. And they will not forget. Would you hold onto the past, or will you seek the future?"

"Aha, my 'niece' has become quite the speaker. Well, I wasn't going to turn you in anyways, if anything, your little shows will aid science. Nothing pushes science faster than conflict." He squawked as Cecile rounded on him with murder in her eyes.

Wincing at the following blow, Lelou looked up into the silver eyes of the Captain. "I'll believe you. In what you want to do, anyways. I even agree with it. But, you do realize how much suffering will be caused by this, don't you?"

"I do, Cecile. But I will say this, the people who follow me chose to do so. They desire it, even with the possible cost. I know that this could trigger the worst wars that the Earth has seen since the end of the World Wars, but it is necessary."

"Just so long as you know that. I don't... I don't know what I'm going to do just yet, but like Lloyd, I won't turn you in."

Giving a small chuckle, Lelou commented. "Well, you know that the leader of the Black Knights is a Britannian Princess. I'll approve applications of Britannians to join us."

Lloyd laughed, and Cecile mirrored Lelou's chuckle. Even Suzaku gave a little smile at that. And finally he looked at her again before speaking. "Lelou... Can I speak with you alone?"

"Sure, shall we talk as we walk back? I know Milly will have our heads if we're any more late than we are."

He gave a more normal smile as they left the University garage. "That or she'll assume we were doing something we shouldn't have been doing." He blushed slightly at his own comment, which managed to pull a giggle from her."I can't bring myself to think that you're right, Lelou. But I also can no longer dismiss your view as wrong. I-"

She shook her head quickly. "Don't, Suzaku. Come to whatever decision you will. Take your time and think about it, but just promise me that you will think about it. Don't just jump to your first conclusion like I know you used to do."

He gave a sad smile at that. "I admit, it still is one of my flaws. Which makes me feel the need to ask. Lelou... that... uh... kiss... What did it mean?"

She froze, pale cheeks flushing beet red. She gulped as he stepped in front of her, his own blush showing obviously. She opened her mouth, struggling to form the words. After a few seconds, his blush darkened. "Oh... you l-like me?"

She stared at him a moment longer, giving the impression of a fish out of water, before she looked away, giving a tiny nod. He gently turned her head back to face him, before he bends down, his finger trembling against her chin. Taking a deep breath, he leaned in, kissing her gently. He pulled away after a moment. "I suppose the feeling is mutual then... even if it makes us both crazy. After all, we've tried to kill each other on the battlefield before."

Her eyes were wide as he finally pulled away. She brought a hand up to her lips as he spoke, but somehow managed to find the willpower to respond without turning into a mumbling mess. "Th-that doesn't matter. We didn't even know we were fighting each other. We can keep it from happening again though..."

He winced at that. "I... I don't know. I need time, Lulu."

She nodded, somehow managing to turn even redder at the use of her pet name. "I'll have the Black Knights keep a low profile for now... that was the plan anyways after Narita."

She gave a weak smile before she started heading off towards the student council building, thankfully in silence the rest of the way. _What the hell kind of a mess am I getting myself into? You could have just Geassed them into forgetting._ She shook her head at the voice that always promoted expediency. _Perhaps Suzaku isn't completely wrong with his view on the ends not justifying the means. This power will help change the world, but it should not be the moving force behind it. That should be the will of the people. I need only use this to show them what they can manage._


	13. Chapter 13

_**Tuesday, October 9th, 2017 a.t.b. 1104 hrs** _

"What's the status of the JLF elements you've been able to track down, Ohgi?"

"It's not good, Zero. They were able to get out of Narita in the confusion, but they're scattered. Pursuers are closing in on Tohdou and his unit, but General Katase is in trouble as well. While we may have helped stave off their destruction, they've still been shattered." Ohgi's voice was harried, though she supposed that was at least partially due to the fact that he had the old mindset of the JLF being the forefront of the fight against Britannia.

"Don't worry, I have a plan in the works for Katase, Tohdou... Well, not even I can find him, so I can only hope that the Viceroy won't either. Don't worry so much, Ohgi. The Black Knights will be able to step into the JLF's place if they are no longer able to keep up the fight. We have an invitation from Kyoto that I'll discuss with everyone tonight. Zero, out."

Ending the call, Lelou turned to C.C., who was occupying herself by sketching something on the now empty pizza box. "Ah, I forgot to mention it yesterday. You no longer have to hide here. Suzaku and the rest of his unit have decided to keep an eye on me since they now know that I'm Zero."

The expression that was drawn forth on the normally unflappable face was priceless. Lelou couldn't quite figure out what emotion was shown most in it, shock, horror, and at least a little anger were obvious. "And just when were you planning on telling me that you were in such danger? You have to stay alive until you fulfill your end of the contract you know."

Lelou nodded. "I know. And the plan had been to let you know yesterday, but I suppose it slipped my mind given that I was astonished I hadn't been arrested."

"And your identity was revealed how?"

"It was a gamble to keep Suzaku from killing me, or having me sent off to prison towards the end of the battle."

C.C. gave a little sigh as she shook her head. "Well, that makes some things make more sense anyways. So what now? Your identity, and I imagine most of your plan has been revealed. Where do we go from here?"

An eyebrow was raised as Lelou reached down into a bag, pulling out a sheet of paper and a felt- covered case. She brought them over, holding them out to C.C., who took them as she looked down at the paper, seeing the winged sword of the Black Knights at the top. She opened the box, and saw the twin silver pins, the Black Knight's symbol with five stars in a line beneath it. "These are?"

"Welcome to the Black Knights, Colonel. You are one of our troubleshooters now. And we've got trouble brewing in the near future. I'm sending you to the Chinese Federation, with some company. You're going to link up with JLF remnants under the command of General Katase and make for China. Transport has been arranged, and I'll give you instructions on that later. After that, you have two goals. One, to do everything possible to dissuade the Eunuchs from trying to take advantage of the situation here. The last thing we need is to have our coming revolution trigger an invasion that leaves us with yet another overlord. Two, to begin spreading the Black Knight's message within the Chinese Federation, particularly in India. I've already made contact with some elements there, as they're the ones that supplied the tech for the Guren. When it comes to it, we will have to overthrow the Eunuchs and get the people of the Federation organized. Japan, once free, will not be able to stand alone. Allies in the Asian mainland will help with that."

"And why would you assume that I'd do this in the first place?"

"Because we are partners. Because the Black Knights need your assistance. Because I will do everything in my power to ensure that you don't see a pizza for some time, and if you don't, I'll forget the location that I hid the box for your 'Cheese-kun.'"

C.C.'s eyes narrowed at that. "So that's why it hadn't arrived yet." She frowned, flopping back onto the bed with a sigh. "Alright, I'll play a 'Colonel' in your little army. Don't expect me to play nice though. With your other Black Knights, or with people I have to associate with in the course of my missions."

"Don't worry, if I wanted someone to be diplomatic about it, I wouldn't send you. I'm sending you because I want them to underestimate the Black Knights as nothing more than an organized resistance force, rather than the political movement meant to follow. Don't purposefully antagonize the JLF though, bad enough that I'm sending someone obviously not Japanese to represent the Black Knights to them."

"Fair enough. I'll design my own uniform though. I wouldn't be caught dead in one of those jackets."

"Do as you wish, the insignia go on the collar though, best to not confuse the underlings with changing that."

C.C. sighed as she stood up. "I had better pack then, oh, and you should be more careful. _It_ was all that I heard about in the halls this morning as I was wandering around."

Lelou raised an eyebrow. "It?" She looked down at the pizza box as C.C. pointed to it before turning to walk out of the room. Now she knew what the new Colonel had been busy sketching. It was a rather good likeness of her wrapped up in Suzaku's arms with lips locking. "Oh, hell. Someone saw that?" She spoke normally, despite her cheeks being flushed with embarrassment.

She heard C.C.'s laugh as she knelt to gather her few things. "Yes, you just haven't because you skipped school today. I gather you want me at the meeting this evening?" At Lelou's nod she frowned. "Mmm... Alright. I'm going to go visit that tailor you picked for the Black Knights. Wouldn't do to appear before subordinates out of uniform."

Lelou gave a little snort before she looked at the clock. "You know where it is, and when. Don't be late. I'm off to go see to Nunnally. Sayoko should be back soon, and then I'm off to deal with the student council. Won't that just be exciting?"

_**1756 hrs** _

Lelou sighed as C.C. walked into the warehouse that the others would soon be arriving at. "Somehow I'm not surprised, but boots like those? Are they practical?"

The green haired girl simply gave a _tut tut_ before she walked over to the crate that Lelou was sitting on, toying with Zero's mask. "You're just mad because I get to wear something that's both stylish, and proper for my gender." She smirked as she twirled around, the four black gold-trimmed flaps swirling around her before she stopped gracefully, holding her arms under her breasts pushing them up just enough to taunt in another fashion. "Though I imagine trading outfits wouldn't leave quite the same impact with you in this one..."

Refusing to rise to the insufferable woman's bait, Lelou simply looked her over. It did grab attention, with the contrast between the white and gold boots and the gold trimming on the jacket, as well as the Black Knight's insignia displayed proudly upon her chest. She nodded as she saw the pips denoting her as a colonel on the collar. "Good work for such a short period of time."

"It helps that I had the idea pre-drawn. I figured you'd be pulling me into the Black Knights eventually. Just had to add the insignia and then get the measurements, and away your busy little tailor went."

Giving a little smile, Lelou pulled the mask on, checking its systems as it linked with the Black Knight's network, showing that their mobile headquarters was about to pull in to the warehousing block. "I'm also using you as a bit of an experiment, to see how they handle non-Japanese members, if it goes well enough, there's a Britannian that I'm going to pull in as a full member."

She simply shrugged at that. "No matter. They'll have to deal with it eventually, and I'll have the benefit of outranking most of them, right?"

Zero nodded, "All but Ohgi. As my second in command, he's getting the honor of becoming the first General in the Black Knights."

They left the warehouse together, as the RV pulled up. Lelou courteously held the door open and indicated that C.C. should enter first. The green-haired woman just gave a chuckle before stepping in, followed by Zero.

She wasn't entirely pleased by the expressions that were on some of their faces, but at least they hadn't said anything without first getting an explanation from Zero as to who the foreigner wearing their sigil was.

Saying nothing, she simply made her way to Zero's usual spot on the couch, crossing one leg over the other before C.C. sat next to her. Tamaki slid in on the other side glaring at the newcomer, after he was able to pull his eyes from the exposed portions of C.C.'s legs. "And just who the hell are you to sit so easily next to my good buddy Zero?"

C.C. gave a pitying smile before she looked away as if Tamaki wasn't even worth the effort of explaining to. The others seemed to want their curiosity satisfied as well, so Zero lifted a hand, silencing even Tamaki before he could shout out a demand for respect. "This is Colonel C.C., there's no longer a need for her to remain separate from the Black Knight's main force. She's a bit of a troubleshooter, and generally only answers to me, so I would ask that you don't bother her too much. Keep in mind that she is a Colonel in the Black Knights, so I expect her orders to be followed should you find yourself as a junior officer."

Ohgi raised an eyebrow at that. "You're going to be assigning ranks now? Zero, isn't that a bit excessive?"

Shaking her head, Lelou continued. "No, while the leadership cadre of the JLF managed to escape Narita, too many of their soldiers were lost. While Cornelia was defeated, she also succeeded in breaking the JLF, even if she didn't destroy them. The Black Knights will have to grow and fill the void. At which point, discipline will become too difficult to enforce with our current methods. So, I'm instituting ranks. All present here will be officers, and I expect a list of recommendations for non-commissioned officers from each of your sections for my approval. Ohgi, as my second in command, you will be the Black Knight's first General." She pulled the jeweler's case from a pocket, opening it up and holding it out to him. Within were pips identical to C.C.'s save for the five stars being replaced by one large silver star.

As he took the case, he gave a little chuckle. "Never thought a school teacher would turn resistance fighter, then Knight of Justice, and then General, did you Ohgi?"

To his surprise Zero chuckled at that comment. "We all become what we have to be, General." She turned back to the others. "Your own ranks and insignia will be provided soon, but do keep in mind that I will expect discipline to be enforced up the chain of command, how you operate with those beneath you is up to you, but if an order is given from above, I expect it to be followed without question."

They all nodded at that. Lelou took a breath before she leaned back in the comfortable couch. "Now then, we have some business to take care of. The Black Knights need to lay low for a short time, we won't be operating openly for the next week or two. That said, there are some things that we can do. In regards to the JLF, I want to get their leaders out of Japan. I've made arrangements for General Katase to get to the Chinese Federation. The Colonel here will be in command of that operation. Sugiyama, you'll be serving under her from now on. You're to accompany her to the Federation and help her with her missions, she'll explain once you're safely on the transport that's been arranged."

He nodded, but didn't seem entirely pleased with the idea. Ohgi stepped over, a folded letter extended towards Lelou. She asked, "This is?"

"A love letter," came the reply from her new General.

"Oh? From you?" Tamaki burst out laughing at Zero's little joke, commenting about how people said Zero had no sense of humor. His outburst was met with a smack from Kallen, seated next to him who had her nose buried in the operating manual for the Guren.

"You laugh at the expense of a superior officer, more guts than you usually show."

He frowned at her retort, but was cut off as Ohgi continued. "It's a letter from Kyoto, they're pleased with our performance and use of the Guren. They note a few changes to our meeting with them though. They want to move the meeting up to tomorrow. We need to do well in this meeting, if they acknowledge us, we'll earn even more monetary and materiel support from them. Which would help with the financial troubles that Tamaki's left us in."

"I gather that my budget hasn't been followed then?" Tamaki gulped, turning away as Lelou gave him her best withering stare, though it was mostly useless beneath the mask. "Ohgi, you're in charge of the money until further notice." Tamaki's complaints were silenced with Zero's second glare, and the comment. "If you want my trust, I expect appropriate results."

"Big talk from a guy who won't even show his face."

Lelou wanted to smack herself for that little slip. A different wording would have prevented the issue from arising. _Hiding my identity is almost more trouble than it's worth._ As if C.C. could sense her thoughts the Colonel gave an almost invisible shrug as if to say, 'You've revealed yourself to your enemy, what's adding your allies on top of that?'

She stayed silent a moment as she tried to think through all the possible issues of revealing herself. There were faults, to be sure. If one of them was captured and talked, if one of them took poorly to the thought of being led by a Britannian. The benefits would be that they might be more loyal since she had revealed her secret, and that she would no longer have to put up with the constant awkward atmosphere whenever she hadn't given them a miracle recently enough to stop them pondering on her identity.

She sighed, Ohgi interrupted Tamaki's demands, but it was still obvious that he had his own doubts as well. Kallen showed the most loyalty, berating them all, reminding them that Zero's identity didn't matter, only what he was capable of accomplishing.

The others looked away at her admonishment, though she looked back as Zero laid a hand upon her shoulder. "That's alright, Kallen. You have all shown trust in me time and time again, It is time for me to reciprocate." She pressed the release, pulling her mask away, setting it down on the table as they all looked on in shock, though Kallen was clearly affected the most. _Finding out that your leader isn't even a man, but is your student council Vice-President might do that to you I suppose._

She ruffled her hair back into a semblance of order as she looked at the rest of them with her own eyes for the first time. C.C. only smirked at the reactions on their faces. Lelou raised an eyebrow mock curiosity. "What? Haven't you ever seen a girl before?"

Kallen finally managed to get the name on her mind past her lips. "L-Lelou?!"

The others turned their gaze to Kallen, incredulous that she knew the girl behind Zero's mask. "She's the Academy's Student Council Vice-President, Lelou Lamperouge." She frowned at Lelou. "What possible reason could you have for wanting to defeat Britannia?"

 _All or nothing? You really need to quit gambling like this. It's going to get you killed._ "My real name, Kallen. Just as you prefer Kouzuki over Stadtfeld, I too prefer my mother's name over my father's. My other name is Lelou vi Britannia, the former Sixth Princess of the Empire."

Tamaki laughed again. "Now _that_ is a good one!" his guffaws continued, though everyone else realized the deadly serious expression on her face. Slowly, Tamaki's noises quieted into nothing.

Ohgi stepped forward, looking down at Lelou. "I remember the Sixth Princess was sent to Japan before the war, but everything I've seen said she was killed during the invasion along with her little sister."

Her eyes narrowed ever so slightly at the mention of her sister. "We survived. And I swore to destroy my father's precious empire, to create a world where my little sister could be happy. And so now you have me, dead princess turned rebel mastermind. Perhaps we can all show less suspicion from now on? I would think that my actions speak for themselves, between dealing with my older brother, and now fighting against my older sister."

She made her way upstairs into the office, leaving them stunned behind her. Removing her cloak, she sat down and opened the letter, quickly reading it through. A change in location. They would be picked up and brought to an undisclosed location. _Not the greatest set up, but if Kyoto has the connections I think they do, they'll be a great help if I can bring them in on our side._

A gentle knock sounded on the door, and Kallen entered when Lelou called for her to. "Lelou, if you're really Zero, how do you do it? You're fighting your family... you've killed your older brother, and from the looks of it, are trying hard to do the same to your sister."

Turning in her chair to face Kallen, she looked up at the red-head, the girl uncharacteristically subdued. "The Royal Family isn't like most families, Kallen. The relationship you had with your older brother, that's like what I share with Nunnally. In a small part, I share it with Euphemia. And perhaps even Cornelia despite what she's shown herself capable of. How though? I meant every word of what I said when we revealed the Black Knights. We serve justice. Clovis, no matter how well he may have treated me when I was a little girl, murdered many in Shinjuku, even children. That's why I pulled the trigger. Cornelia has done the same in Saitama. Neither would have been punished for their actions. I want to change that. The only reason I want to capture Cornelia is so that I may ask her a few questions regarding my mother's murder."

Lelou gave a sad smile. "I won't pretend that I am doing this solely for the good of Japan. I'm not. Japan is simply the turning point for the world. When we sound the death knell of elitist rule here, we sound it for the rest of the world, the only question being how long it takes the Black Knights to deliver the strike."

Kallen walked over to the bed, sitting down on it, hugging one leg against her chest before she looked at Lelou. "Japan is only the beginning, huh?"

Lelou nodded, a fire in her eyes. "I don't even plan on bringing back the old Japan." She waved a hand quickly at the glint in Kallen's eyes. "My goal is to create a Japan that stands on its own, controlled by the will of its people. That's why I'm sending C.C. and Sugiyama to the Chinese Federation. When we break free from Britannia, we will be weak. We won't be able to stand alone immediately, especially if we are unable to make terms with Britannia. We will need allies, but the Federation is just as corrupt and evil as the Empire in its own ways. C.C.'s goal is to secure support for Japan without turning into a Chinese puppet, failing that, she will plant the seeds of rebellion that will turn the Federation into our natural allies."

Holding up a hand, Kallen shook her head. "Woah, Lelou, that's way out of my league. I trust you, even if you are a princess. You've continually proven yourself no matter how we doubt you. Just promise me, give me a free Japan, and I will follow you even in a fit of insanity that makes you think you can change the world."

'Zero' chuckled at that. "Thank you, Kallen. What about the others? They were so interested in learning my identity, please don't tell me they think it's some elaborate ruse by Britannia to destroy the resistance in one fel swoop."

"Tamaki did, but he's an idiot. I told him as much. The others aren't happy, but I think they realize that you wouldn't have done what you've done if you were in service to the Empire. After all, you killed the Third Prince, and humiliated the Second Princess."

"This is only the beginning though, even for liberating Japan. I will need their loyalty to even manage to free this nation, much less build an ideal one that will be able to stand up against the Empire on the battlefield." She sighed. "Just try to keep them from trying to kill me until I can manage a bit more to show them that I really am on their side."

Kallen gave a little smile. "I'll do a bit better than that. I trust you, so I'll try to convince them, as well as keep them away from a bad idea like getting rid of you."

"Thank you, Kallen. Oh, I suppose in the interest of full disclosure, which seems to be happening to me a lot these days. That white Knightmare."

Kallen perked up at the sound of the enemy that had damaged her Guren. "You know how to beat it?"

"Hopefully you won't have to. This remains between us, only us. Is that understood?" Waiting until she nodded, "It's the Z-01 Lancelot, and experimental Knightmare built by my mother's favorite designer. The pilot is Suzaku. You will do nothing to him, is that clear?"

She must have realized that she was showing a vengeful look at the sudden admonishment. "Why not? He's a traitor!"

Lelou narrowed her eyes at that. "He may not be for long. I hope that he will join us, or at least stay out of our way. No matter what choice he makes, you will not touch him. He is a friend that I owe too much to."

"And you seem to love him, don't you?"

Blushing slightly, she held Kallen's gaze and nodded. "I... do." She took a breath before continuing. "You're the only one in the Black Knights that stands a chance against him if it should come to combat. I won't ask you not to fight him if he attacks us, but I do not want him to come to harm unless he turns out to be a true enemy."

Kallen frowned at that. "I'm not convinced it's the smart thing to do, or that you're not misreading something because of your emotional attachment, but I'll do as you ask." She rose, heading for the door. She turned back just before the door closed behind her. "I'm holding you to that promise, Zero."

Lelou didn't reply, she simply turned back to the letter, pondering if she should bother with the plan she had originally formulated, after all, hiding her identity from the Black Knights that would be going with her was no longer an issue.

_**Wednesday, October 10th, 2017 a.t.b. 1420 hrs** _

Lelou was ready to strangle Tamaki. He'd been insufferable during the near hour and a half they'd been ensconced in the limousine. She hadn't been alone though, the majority of her officers, now wearing insignia denoting them as captains or majors, were ready to strangle the lone lieutenant.

Kallen had finally snapped at him, pointing to the twin stars on her collar, and ordered him to shut up, one which he surprisingly obeyed. For which Lelou was quite grateful. She was a little worried though, the limousine was blocking signals from within, so she couldn't get a fix on their location. She wasn't overly worried though, Kyoto was funding the resistance. With the JLF all but destroyed, they wouldn't risk getting rid of the second largest resistance group. They would want them to step up and take the JLF's place.

Finally they came to a halt, and were allowed out of the vehicle by the chauffeur. A smile came to her lips as they saw the windows, realizing that they were at the Fuji Sakuradite mines. She was almost certain who had invited her, and as they were led to another room with a figure hidden behind the shadow of a veiled seat, the voice that came from it simply confirmed it.

"It's an abomonation, isn't it? Mt. Fuji, once a scenic wonder defiled by these mines, bent to the Empire's will, its defilement a reflection of what Japan has become. I apologize for not showing you my face, but then again, your leader does the same, does he not? I'm afraid that I must know who you are though."

The voice was drowned out by the squeals of landspinners as four Burai's surrounded them, training weapons on the Black Knights. Zero simply stepped forwards, shaking her head as she placed a hand on Kallen's shoulder before she jumped in front of her leader.

"My dear Kirihara Taizou, your hospitality has fallen in quality over the years." Lelou chuckled as the guards standing behind Kirihara gaped in astonishment before drawing their pistols, declaring that they could not be allowed to live if they knew his identity.

"Wait." The old man's command was quiet, but the guards froze, halting with their pistols aimed at Zero. "You wear the mask because you are not Japanese, then?"

Lelou removed the mask, smiling at the old man whose estate she had often visited before the invasion. "Indeed, Lord Kirihara. I have returned from the grave to see to the destruction of my homeland for its crimes."

"I don't believe it!" The guards were stunned as their employer rose up, giving a loud laugh before he walked over to Zero, this black-haired, violet-eyed girl, and threw his arms around her giving her a hug. "If it isn't little Lelou, still alive after that mess?"

She simply smiled, returning the old man's hug. "Yes, despite all the doting that you put me and my sister through to try and soften us up. I figured that you would be a member of Kyoto. You turned your coat too quickly after the surrender for the crotchety old man I remembered. You were simply trying to protect your position so you could support the inevitable resistance. A wise move, even if it left you quite unpopular."

He finally released her, pulling away with a pained smile on his face. "Yes, but we do what we must. As it seems to hold true in the Black Knights." He looked to the officers that were staring on in confusion. Their leader having proven even more enigmatic in revealing her identity than she had as he masked miracle worker. Who didn't the former Princess know? "You lot are a bit more flexible than the JLF would be. Willing to serve under a former Britannian Princess. Perhaps you'll manage what they could not. This little devil has a score to settle with her homeland, and I can promise the Black Knights all of my support, and whatever I can manage to do to convince the other members to help you out as well."

He gave another laugh, and a broad grin. "It seems the flower planted years ago has begun to bloom."

"You have my thanks, Lord Kirihara. In return, I shall give you a free Japan, and beyond that, a free world."

The old man's grin faded slightly, taking on a serious expression. "You choose to walk the path of blood then?"

"You said, 'We do what we must.' I simply return that to you. If Britannia will accept terms, then I will walk the path of peace. If they refuse, then I will spark even another World War if I must. The end is worth whatever price we might pay." She smiled, giving a small bow rather than the curtsy she'd given him as a child. "I'll be in touch."


	14. Chapter 14

_**Friday, October 12, 2017 a.t.b 18:32 hrs** _

"Your Highness!" Cecile had fumbled with the toolkit she'd been holding while inspecting one of the Lancelot's elbow joints. Lelou allowed herself to feel the slight amusement at the captain's flustered reaction. "What are you doing here? I thought you didn't want to be seen around here."

"I don't, but I wanted to ask you something. Lloyd wouldn't give me the answer if I were to ask him, but it's something I need to know." She paused, giving a sad smile before continuing. "How bad were the civilian casualties at Narita? I can't get a number that I don't feel is heavily inflated by the media trying to paint Zero as Cornelia wishes." _I would like to know how many innocents I must atone for. I would still do the same, the stakes at the end of this are too high to risk defeat for the sake of a few. However, I cannot allow myself to forget the sacrifices that were made. The sacrifices that I will pay for when the time comes._

Cecile frowned at the question, but she saw the shadows lurking behind the princess' eyes. "From what I've seen in the reports, the majority of the dead are military or terrorist, but the landslide claimed 46 non-combatants. It seems that the losses were light due to an unplanned triggering of the evacuation alarms. As always it also helped that the rumor mill had word that being in Narita was a bad idea that morning."

The captain paused as she saw Lelou trying to hide her pain at the knowledge that her plan had killed 46 innocents. "I see that I will have to be smarter about plans like that in the future. Killing a soldier is one thing, civilians should be spared the destruction that is involved with fighting Britannia. At least to the greatest degree possible. I know that there is no way to eliminate civilian casualties, but I can keep them to a minimum, and not be the cause of them."

"You intend to continue being Zero?" Cecile looked down at the ground with Lelou's nod. She took a deep breath before giving a little sigh. "Well, Lloyd seems to be alright with it, and I do believe in your goals, and I'll agree that there is less evil in the path you're taking. It does help that you seem like you'll be able to pull it off from what I've seen." She shook her head annoyed at how long it was taking her to get the thought out. "What I mean to say, is that I've decided to join your Black Knights. Lloyd said he would as well. Not really for any ideological reason, but mostly because he wants to get his hands on Rakshata's Radiant Wave Surger. He was certain that she wouldn't be able to make it work and fit in something the size of a Knightmare."

Lelou chuckled at that. "I would welcome you in the Black Knights, Cecile, and even Lloyd, whatever his reasons. I do want Suzaku to join as well, but..." She broke off with a weak shrug.

Cecile smiled at that. "I wouldn't worry too much about him, he's too good of a person. I know that he thinks you're right, he's just taking longer than he should to resolve inner turmoil. He'll come around."

The younger girl gave a little smile. "I hope so."

She waved Cecile back to her work, while she sat back, staring up at the magnificent figure of the Lancelot. _'And you seem to love him, don't you?'_ She frowned at Kallen's words coming back to her yet again.

_You do. And you're letting your emotions affect your judgment. Why do you love him? Because he helped keep Nunnally alive in the aftermath of the invasion. Because even though he was an arrogant_ _pain who never ceased poking fun at you for being a useless princess, he would never fail to help when you were in trouble. Because, he knows everything about you, and even if he disapproves, he has not handed you over to the military._

She growled to herself as she drug fingers through her hair in an old habit. She'd gone through the mental debate often enough. The side of her devoted to her goal warred with the side that begged to retain her humanity. Though her ruthlessness had fallen off somewhat. She'd never been happy to throw someone away when they threatened her plans, but she'd done it. Now, potentially the biggest threat to her existed in the form of Suzaku, one that she couldn't bring herself to take care of even at the risk of the ultimate ends.

A thought hit her that worried her. _Why would Lloyd and Cecile be willing to join me so easily?_ "Cecile, may I ask why you're so willing to join me?"

Cecile looked back at the princess. "Hm. Well, we're funded by the Prime Minister, but Lloyd doesn't need funding anymore, just operational data. He's willing because he thinks he'll be more likely to get that from you. As for me? The Prime Minister is too much of a politician for me. He's too... perfect. I just get a bit of a bad feeling about it. And I admit a personal animosity against the whole Numbers system. My mother was a two, so I had a lot of trouble getting into schools until Lloyd stumbled across me. Foolishness really. Everything should be based on achievement as far as I'm concerned."

"A woman after my own thoughts. Equal opportunity is the way of the future. Equality leads to stagnation, but trampling one based on their heritage is foolish. Give all the ability to rise to whatever station their ability makes them worthy of. Then you have what humanity was meant for."

Cecile nodded, though they were interrupted as Suzaku stepped into view. His eyes fell upon Lelou with a slight flash of discomfort, but he quickly returned the small smile she gave him. "Is that truly what you believe, Lelou?"

 _He still doesn't trust me completely. Even though I'll tell him the truth every time he asks because I want him at my side._ "Equal opportunity to advance or fail based on one's performance? Of course."

He gazed down at the floor for a moment before he took a deep breath. "I will hold you to that then. I have thought hard on why you became Zero, and why you're doing the right thing, even if in the wrong way. I cannot judge you for that though. I have sinned in my own way, and indeed, it might even be worse than what you have done."

He walked over towards her before dropping to one knee before her. "I swear myself to your service, Your Highness. If you would have it."

 _He really does never do things by half._ "Get up, Suzaku. I'm no more a Princess than you are some noble to need to swear yourself to me. You are welcome to join me, but I won't bind you to any oath. I would like you to follow me out of your own will, not because of some archaic declaration of your loyalty."

He rose, but nodded at her words. "I will hold you to the statements you made at Kawaguchi. About the Black Knights serving justice. "

At that Lelou nodded. "If you find me straying from a path you don't think is right, tell me Suzaku, and it will be dealt with. As I said earlier. I have no interest in political power, I'm only interested in doing what is necessary to give that power back to the people it rightfully belongs to."

He gave a little chuckle, but nodded. "Great, so now I'm a Black Knight, traitor to the Empire, as well as Honorary Britannian, traitor to Japan. How do you keep up the various personas? Student, princess, and Zero, the masked man of miracles."

She ignored the sardonic tone, and settled for giving him a hug. She heard the quiet chuckle coming from Cecile's direction. _Well, I suppose I didn't think this one through too well... I really do need to control myself where Suzaku's concerned._

She pulled away, her own embarrassment showing in her flush. "Well then, if you'll excuse me, I've gotten what I wandered here for, and then some. I need to go take care of some business regarding China. Cecile, I'm not sure I'd trust Lloyd around some of the members of the Black Knights... Yet. But would you be available around midnight? I'm going to get you and Suzaku introduced at least. They all know that I'm Britannian, so I'm hoping that they won't give you much trouble. Well, one will. A loudmouth by the name of Tamaki, but you have permission to treat him even more harshly than Lloyd."

Cecile groaned as she realized the amount of work she'd just added to her load with joining up. "I don't think that will be a problem, I assume you'll let me know where I need to be?"

Lelou nodded. "It'll be taken care of. Until tonight then."

_**Saturday, October 13, 2017 a.t.b. 0016 hrs** _

"Who is this, and why the hell is an honorary Britannian wearing our uniform?"

 _Tamaki. Typical._ She snorted as she looked at the pair that had drawn the comment. Suzaku didn't seem happy about withering gazes coming his way, but he even managed to keep a straight face as he saw Kallen leaning on the armrest of the couch with an unhappy frown. Cecile, on the other hand was too busy fidgeting with the hat. At least she'd managed to break out of the fascination of staring at herself in the mirror when she'd been given the uniform.

"Bear with me a moment if you will, they're our newest recruits. Although in a sense you've already met them before." Lelou pulled up a map on the television screen as she spoke, still wearing Zero's outfit, but having discarded the mask after entering the RV. They all looked on in interest as they recognized Yokosuka. "Colonel C.C. and Major Sugiyama have reported that Cornelia's gotten word about our little operation to get General Katase and his JLF remnants over to the Federation. I've confirmed that through my own sources as well. They're going to move against the freighter I arranged tomorrow night, just before it sails. We're going to make sure that they fail."

That managed to draw their attention away from Cecile and Suzaku. "I've managed to smuggle a few of our Knightmares into warehouses in the area, and I've... acquired a small transport ship that will be able to move a squadron. If you'll look on the map," she paused to press a button as the map zoomed in to show a specific pier. "I've marked locations that I think would be most likely be Britannian positions during the engagement. We're going to be planting some explosives along with a special... additive to help even the odds. The Colonel is handling that as we speak."

"Now then, we'll be discussing who will be located where momentarily, but first," She broke off to wave a hand in the direction of Cecile and Suzaku. "On the right, you have Captain Kururugi Suzaku, who will be joining us as of today. You all may recall the white Knightmare that derailed our first operation, and caused us problems in so many others? Here's the pilot. I expect him to remain intact, whatever animosity you may have towards him, is that clear?" She waited for the nods of assent, glaring at Tamaki until he grudgingly obliged. "And to the left I present Major Cecile Croomy. She's likely to become one of our better engineers, and I expect that we'll soon be seeing new tech out of her and her... crew. After all, she helped to build the Lancelot that beat most of us a time or two."

The looks they received again weren't the most friendly, but Lelou's narrowed stare kept even Tamaki from commenting.

"Now then, they'll be working on the other side for a portion of this operation. So friendly fire may be an issue. We're going to have one of the warehouse teams sneak in and cut them off, and 'capture' them before Cornelia gives the order for the Lancelot to launch. Kallen, you'll lead the amphibious assault after the charges detonate. Inoue, Minami, and Tamaki will go with you. I'll be on the boat as well, though I'll leave the fighting to you, I'll be busy coordinating the operation. Ohgi, there's a potential recruit that brought some additional information to my attention, I'd like you to keep an eye on him during the operation."

Even while she was speaking, she was carefully watching their reactions to her orders. All in all, she was pleased. While Tamaki was certainly uncomfortable, they didn't seem to have changed too much after learning that she was a former Princess. _Of course the moment I fail to produce results will be the moment that they'll turn on me. They're using me as much as I'm using them right now. Hopefully we'll both be able to change that point of view before this all ends._

She kept updating the map as she worked through the extent of her plan. While normally she would have just put the plan in motion on scene, she knew about the resentment of not having the chance to give their input. While most of the changes that they suggested were superfluous, some that came from Ohgi were ones that she'd thought through in the course of designing the current operation. He showed a decent amount of flexibility in thought when she gave her reasoning for not taking the other option. _I really do need to find some time and sit down with him and put him through a few chess matches, and maybe pass him my copy of the Art of War, he'll be a great asset if he can stay alive through these early days._

Around two in the morning, they finally broke up. The plans were set, confirmation sent to C.C. and Sugiyama. _Now then, hopefully we'll be able to capture Cornelia this time around, along with the ASEEC._ She paused at that thought. _Should we capture her right now? I want to question her about mother's death, but... Removing another royal, and one so close to the throne so soon, would bring a heavier Britannian military presence. The Black Knights aren't ready for a full scale war, not yet._

She growled at her train of thought. A part of her wanted nothing more than to take Cornelia and interrogate her about her mother's death before giving her what she deserved for Saitama. A more rational part realized that following that urge would endanger the plans for the future.

_**Sunday, October 14, 2017 a.t.b. 2019 hrs** _

The ship rocked with each little wind-driven wave lapping against it. There was surprisingly little chatter over the radio, though that could be because Tamaki was hopelessly sea-sick from the slight motions. Lelou smiled as she scanned the shoreline for thermal signatures. All of the Black Knights were in position, and the Britannians had formed up near the locations she expected, though out of sight of the freighter for now.

Lelou, wearing the mask properly this time, smiled as she opened communications to C.C. She gave a little chuckle at the woman's bored tone. "I knew I shouldn't have mentioned that I was handy with improvising explosives on my application." The Colonel for her part was looking rather relaxed, the heeled boots propped up on a desk. The JLF guards behind her didn't seem terribly pleased to have her around.

"Yes, yes, Colonel. I understand that you take offense any time you have to do anything, but somehow I imagine you wouldn't be very happy trying to get out of this situation without outside assistance. Cornelia's come ready to fight a full-scale war after what happened at Narita. Is General Katase there?"

C.C. simply nodded, reaching out to spin the laptop around, so it's camera would show Zero the other side of the desk. The wrinkled general nodded with a grave expression. "Zero, you have my thanks for your aid, even if I'm not exactly enamored with this Colonel of yours."

Laughing at that, Lelou commented, "Yes, well, I'm afraid she's always like that General, why do you think I'm sending her off to China with you?"

The serious expression cracked a little as the General gave a smile at that. "I can't pretend that I've never done the same thing to a capable if annoying subordinate. And your Colonel has proven herself incredibly capable. But then again, I expect that's why you sent her to us even though she isn't Japanese and refuses to give up a name other than that ridiculous code name."

Zero nodded. "General, I'm sure that Kyoto has given you some information on me since my meeting with them. They know what my goals are. My plans include a free Japan, but they don't stop there."

Katase nodded at that. "I know, they also told me that you aren't Japanese. When I questioned them on that, they said that they would trust you, a foreigner over a vast majority of even Japanese. I don't know who you are, but to have earned such praise from them means that I will be happy to work with you as long as our aims coincide."

"And they do for a while yet at the very least. Just promise me that when you get to the Chinese Federation, you won't let the JLF turn into a Chinese puppet. I expect I'll be trying to work you all into joining the Black Knights soon."

The General gave another little smile at that. "We'll see about that, I'm not fully convinced, and I know some of my officers are still displeased about what happened with Kusakabe, fool that he was. I'm a little displeased with your showing at Narita as well, several of our people were caught up in that landslide of yours."

Zero nodded, "I understand, General. I imagine we'll be able to work things through over time-" She broke off as a messenger came into view, whispering in Katase's ear.

"Apologies for the interruption, Zero. It seems Cornelia's forces are moving into position."

"Quite alright, General. May I suggest you pull away from the pier, you're going to have to repel them until you're far enough to blow the charges. That's our go signal."

He nodded before cutting the link. Lelou watched as the freighter began to pull away from the pier, slowly, but accelerating quickly. Not quite fast enough though. She watched as some of the JLF sentries fell from their positions on the ship as Cornelia's Knightmares slid into position, firing anti-personnel weapons rather than the usual armor piercing. _At least she's taking the liquid sakuradite threat seriously. I'd rather not have that thing go up nearby._

She pulled a radio, switching to the channel that she'd given to Lloyd, Cecile, and Suzaku. "I gather you haven't been ordered to move yet?"

Lloyd's tone forced her to see a mental vision of him pouting. "Of course... Cornelia's trying to salvage the reputation of her forces. Why would she call upon a special unit that is piloted by a Number?"

"Don't worry, Uncle. Once I 'capture' you and the Lancelot, I'll bend a little and keep you 'prisoner' while I use your precious Lancelot to get you as much data as you could want."

She heard the chuckle coming from Cecile as Lloyd went on dramatically, "Woe is me! An Earl slaving away for Zero, forced to arm those terrorists, the evil Black Knights. The media will have a field day! Though some that know me will wonder about it."

"Don't worry about that, Lloyd. I know Schneizel will wonder, but he's the Prime Minister, and currently occupied with trying to resolve the crisis with the EU. Besides, he won't meddle with Cornelia. Not over a single Knightmare."

"As you say, Your Highness." She sighed, having long since given up trying to break Lloyd and Cecile of their habitual deference.

She turned her focus back to the freighter's progress. It was just about to cross the line that C.C. indicated. Switching her radio to transmit to all Black Knight units, she called out reminders. "Third squad, remember, do not damage your target. You're to capture them and detach two Burais to escort them down the subway to the rendezvous point. After that, you're going to push down the north end of the pier and deal with any resistance. There's no need to destroy them, just keep them busy. Second Squad, blitz the south end and mop up any that escape the charges and push towards our landing point. First Squad, we're landing in the thick of it, be ready."

She smiled at the eager affirmatives. They seemed much more willing to fight hearing Zero's voice rather than her own. "Alright, we go on the Colonel's signal."

Mere seconds later, the evening sky was lit by a massive series of explosions. Even Lelou was shocked by the sheer scale of the pink-tinged fireballs that engulfed the pier. The Colonel's familiar voice called out over the radio even as practically every Britannian unit froze at the sight of half of their assault force being vaporized in an instant. "With explosions, big enough just isn't big enough."

Lelou laughed at that before she ordered the operation to begin. Black Burais poured forth out of several warehouses. Those on the south end pushed forward, well ahead of schedule, the most that was left of the Sutherlands that had been located there was a legless wreck that had been on the very edge of the blast. _At this rate, Second Squad is going to make it to the landing point before we do._

Third squad reported in that they had the ASEEC in custody, and Lelou watched as they slashed down the narrow alleys between the warehouses before flinging themselves into the fray at the north end. Several Sutherlands and a Gloucester fell to them before even being able to turn to address the new threat.

Ohgi, from his position atop one of the loading gantries along with the new recruit that had provided Zero with the information for this operation were laying down on a maintenance deck, the winds from the opening blast having nearly knocked them off their feet. He reported that Cornelia's reserves were coming out in the center, near their landing point in an effort to halt second squad's advance. Somehow Lelou thought she heard a rather maniacal laugh coming from the background, but she decided that should be a concern for another time.

Indeed, her main concern at this point was trying to rout Cornelia's reserves. While the numbers had been evened by the explosions, the Viceroy still had the edge there, as well as in the experience level of her troops and even equipment quality. Their morale was at a low though, and so far First Squad's boat seemed to be unnoticed, despite only being a minute from the landing point. _I suppose I can't fault them for failing to notice us so far though, Second Squad is hitting them pretty hard despite being forced back._

She opened the channel to Kallen as the vessel's roof retracted. "Alright, Kallen. We need to hit them hard and break them, we still can't fight these guys head on, I'm leaving the shock factor to you."

Kallen gave a predatory grin before leaping out of the ship as it scraped along the dock. The Guren was half way to the Second Squad by the time the rest of First Squad was disembarked, with the wreckage of a Sutherland and two Gloucester's burning in her wake as hydraulic fluid dripped from the Guren's dagger.

 _I'm just glad she's on our side..._ Lelou desperately wished that she had some wood available to knock on. The plan was going well, Cornelia herself was trapped between Second Squad and First Squad along with her Knights. The northern flank had abandoned their attack on the freighter to deal with Third Squad, but they were falling back trying to link up with the Viceroy.

She nodded as Britannian Portmans emerged from the water behind them. She expected that Cornelia would deploy them since she didn't have a single ship in sight. They could prove to be a little bit of a problem, but Lelou looked at the freighter's progress into Tokyo Bay, steadily pushing towards the Uraga Channel as they made for the Pacific.

"Keep it up, Black Knights. Kallen, keep the pressure on Cornelia, the rest of First Squad, we've got company coming in on our six." Lelou spun her Burai around, firing towards the aquatic units. She was joined by the rest of first squad, and one of the awkward machines went down, smoke bursting from a leg as it shattered and toppled down. It was soon followed by a second and third, both exploding as the sakuradite in their drives touched off.

The remainder were quickly pinning them down though, Cornelia managing to avoid Kallen, sending Guilford to hold the Guren off as she tore through Second Squad's Burais. Holding her frustration in check, Lelou watched the scene unfolding. The freighter had reached the limit of Knightmare's reach. As much as she still wanted to capture Cornelia, it would be more trouble than it was worth. Both in the lives and equipment it would take to accomplish here, as well as in the retribution of whatever new viceroy and forces would be sent to take care of the resistance in Area 11.

 _We've accomplished our goal at least, there aren't any naval forces that would be able to intercept the freighter before it reached the Federation, and we've struck yet another heavy blow against Cornelia's best. We won't be able to force her to retreat like last time, but she won't be able to pursue effectively either._ "Alright! Second Squad, fall back! We'll cover your retreat, Third Squad, make for the tunnels. Kallen, get back here and quit playing around with Guilford. We're going to have to make a run for it shortly."

The Guren disengaged from the battered Gloucester, though Kallen made her annoyance with herself at not being able to have destroyed it obvious in her treatment of the remaining Portmans, not one of them escaped the bubbling fury of the Guren's Radiant Wave Surger. "Alright, First Squad! Our route is open, head for the tunnels, then on to the rendezvous, good work everyone. Ohgi, be sure you and Diethard get out of there soon, I'd rather not have you two captured in the aftermath of a victory.""

She heard the chuckles coming back along with the affirmatives. _I imagine my sister is quite angry with herself over yet another defeat. We'll have to tread carefully. She was just overconfident at Narita, and here again. It won't be so easy to deal with her next time. She won't underestimate Zero again._


	15. Chapter 15

_**Tuesday, October 23, 2017 a.t.b. 1246 hrs** _

A gentle breeze blew through the courtyard as Lelou sat at the on the bench, watching the clouds with a rather vacant expression. Milly and the rest of the Student Council had endeavored to cheer her up after they heard the news that Suzaku had been captured by the Black Knights and that no word had come up about him. While she wasn't comfortable playing the role of the girl whose unofficial boyfriend had been snatched away from her, she wasn't about to draw attention by acting as if nothing had happened.

In fact, she was quite pleased that Suzaku was now safely out of reach of Cornelia and her sycophants. Rare were the days that she didn't get a chance to speak with him, and he even seemed to adapt quite nicely within the Black Knights. She'd expected a bit more resistance to the idea of having an honorary Britannian amongst their ranks, but after the performance that Colonel C.C. put together at Yokosuka as well as the ill-kept secret of even Zero not being Japanese, the Black Knights were being surprisingly tolerant of even full-blooded Britannians that were popping up in their midst.

Most of what she heard in regards to the new Major Kururugi were that he handled their pilots too roughly during the training regimen he'd designed. That hadn't bothered her in the least, and she'd readily endorsed it as Zero which had earned grumbling from some of the newer recruits and Tamaki. It had effectively put an end to the complaints, and she was happy to see that the Black Knights were steadily becoming more cohesive, less of a well armed militia, and more of a well trained and disciplined fighting force.

Cecile had managed to ingratiate herself with most of the members by silencing Lloyd as he inspected the Burais that the Black Knights used. Some of the phrases he used were colorful, even by loose standards. And while his attitude may have not been appreciated, the Earl of Yorkshire had earned something of a following in the more technically adept members of the Black Knights, as well as in the pilots of the Burais that he'd gotten his hands on to 'tweak' as he put it. Being able to boost the machines' operation to a level that added a few percentage points to their pilots' scores in simulations.

And while her own position had been secured by ensuring that the majority of the JLF (whom many of the Black Knights respected greatly) escaped to the Federation, she was noticing the impatience building once more, even amongst the officers. They understood Lelou's reasoning, intellectually anyways. They had struck a blow against Cornelia not once, but twice, and forced her back each time. Their emotions screamed for another blow even though they agreed that they couldn't face the Viceroy head-on yet, especially with the defensive posture Cornelia had taken while she regrouped and studied her enemy.

_And that worries you. Cornelia isn't stupid. She's just impetuous. She's been hurt twice, the third time won't be as easy. Clearly she doesn't grasp the situation fully though. While her troops focus on patrolling the settlements, the Black Knights move freely in the ghettoes and the countryside. With Diethard working on our propaganda, we've even seen open talk of and praise for the Black Knights outside of the settlements. The number of recruits we're seeing has practically tripled, and Kirihara is having trouble keeping us supplied with enough materiel. At least C.C. managed to secure direct aid from Rakshata, even if the Federation refuses to help for fear of antagonizing Britannia. The fools think that the marriage of the Empress to Odysseus will actually secure peace? At least our revolution will be well placed when the time comes_

Lelou frowned, knowing that the Black Knights were straying into a dangerous period. They had angered Cornelia enough for the Viceroy to surely do everything possible to destroy them, and yet they still lacked the power to be able to face Cornelia's forces.

Soon things would change, but for a while longer, the Black Knights were vulnerable in a way that they hadn't been with the relative anonymity provided by being smaller fish than the JLF. Now as the largest organization in central Japan, likely the largest in all of Japan, they desperately needed to build up their strength to not be at risk of imminent destruction.

"Don't worry, Lelou, I'm sure he's fine."

She blinked, turning to the side to see Rivalz sympathetic expression as he sat down next to her on the bench. "You're brooding even more than usual. The Black Knights don't seem all that bad though, so cheer up a little. We can't have our Vice-President at anything less than her best, you're the only one able to keep Milly's reign in check."

She gave a little chuckle at that, giving him a small smile to prove that she was still capable of that. _I wonder what they'll think when they finally find out everything. Will they still care about me, or will they view me as a traitor? I know Milly knows how much I hate the Empire, but would she believe me capable of doing this? Intellectually, probably, but emotionally I know she still sees me like a little sister. Shirley's never shown much patriotism, but I know how gentle she is. Nina... She'd be appalled that I would work with Numbers,_ if _she could make it past the fact that I'm a princess._

Lelou's eyes held on Rivalz for a moment as she contemplated him. _What of Rivalz? He's probably the closest thing that I have to a confidant, and yet I've never revealed anything to him, no matter how big a help he is. I think he'd side with his friends over the Empire though._

"Oi, earth to Lelou, you reading reality there?"

She gave a bigger smile at that, chuckling softly. "I'm fine, Rivalz _._ I know you're right. I'm just... contemplating the future. We can't know what's in store for us, but we always strive to shift it as we desire."

He frowned a little at that, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh, you know that me and thinking don't always get along."

She smiled at the self-deprecating comment, knowing that it wasn't true. He had a code of honor, and he always followed it. An unthinking person wouldn't have been able to formulate one, much less abide by it. "I know that's not true, Rivalz. I've spent enough time with you to know that whenever we were in... troublesome situations with our gambling you were always ready to protect me." She ignored the embarrassed flush that crept onto his cheeks. "At risk of sounding callous, may I ask why you stuck around me? I know much about you, and though it shames me to say it, I have specifically worked to keep you and the others from learning much about me."

He sighed at that, leaning back on the bench. "Because I consider you my friend, Lelou. Whether I know a lot about you, or next to nothing, that doesn't matter. I will go to any lengths for a friend. Besides, you certainly helped me pay the tuition here with our little arrangement."

Lelou stood as he finished speaking. "And with that, you have shown me just how unworthy I am of your friendship. That will change soon. I must change it. I'll explain everything in due time, and I hope that when it's done with, you will still consider me a friend."

As she walked away, she heard the faint reply. "Nothing could change our friendship." _I only hope that's true._

_**2236 hrs** _

"You've been... distant lately, big sister."

Lelou winced mentally at the statement. Mentally due to the fact that Nunnally would have detected it as she was laying down on the couch with Lelou, head in her older sister's lap as they listened to the news.

She'd known that it was coming, in all honesty, she was surprised that it had taken this long for Nunnally to mention it. This was the issue with trying to maintain a double life, in order to dedicate enough time to Zero and the Black Knights some things in her life as a student had to bend. And as much as she hated it, the time she devoted to Nunnally had been one of them.

"I know you're worried about Suzaku, but you've been restless since Zero started appearing."

Gently stroking her hand over Nunnally's hair, she tried to make her voice as reassuring as possible. "I'm sorry. It's not intentional, I've just... been doing a lot of thinking, and Milly isn't exactly letting me have a relaxed student life as her Vice-President."

Nunnally reached up, capturing Lelou's hand, and nuzzling her cheek into it as she listened to her sister's words. "That's not entirely true. But it isn't a lie either." She gave a sigh, one of the rare open signs of disappointment that she gave. "You agree with Zero and the Black Knights, don't you?"

Lelou's eyes closed. This was not the conversation she wanted to have with Nunnally, not now, not yet anyways. But she couldn't run either. Nor would she lie. _You are one of the few people that I will never lie to, Nunnally. So when you ask a question like that..._ She sighed as she lifted Nunnally up from her lap, wrapping her arms around her little sister as she rested her chin on Nunnally's head.

"I do. I think they're doing the right thing for people, both here, and elsewhere. I don't know if you've read any of their rhetoric, but I admire them for taking the stance they are."

"Are they really going about it the right way though? There has to be another answer than violence. They killed big brother Clovis, and they seem to be trying to do the same to big sister Cornelia. Even Euphy might be in trouble with the way they're acting."

Lelou bit back the instinctive urge to call Clovis and Cornelia's crimes, and how they deserved whatever they got in retribution. "I know, and I know why you feel the way you do, Nunnally. It's because you're far more gentle than this world deserves. I... I can't forgive the Empire. And now the Empire has finally discovered what its policies will lead to. If the Black Knights manage to beat Britannia, and implement the sort of government that they talk about in their propaganda, I think that the world would be a better place, not just for non-Britannians, but even Britannians as well."

Nunnally didn't say anything after that, not until Lelou picked her up to carry her to bed. Lelou smiled as her little sister wrapped her arms around her neck, snuggling close as Sayoko watched from the doorway. Lelou saw something in the maid's expression, but she couldn't quite place it.

Her focus returned to Nunnally as the girl nuzzled her head into her neck. "I won't argue your views, big sister, just... Be careful, for me. I don't want to lose anyone else."

Lelou smiled as Sayoko pulled down the sheets of Nunnally's bed so she could slip the girl into bed. "Don't worry, Nunnally. Everything will be fine." She bent down, giving her little sister a kiss on the forehead before she stood back up, following Sayoko out of the room. "Sleep well, Nunnally."

She flipped the light off before leaving the room. As she turned to head for her own, she stopped, surprised to see Sayoko standing in front of her. "You do a little more than agree with the Black Knights, don't you, Lelou-sama? You have a tendency to disappear in the dead of night, usually on days that they are active."

"And if I do, what then, Sayoko?" She frowned, her tone leaning towards defensive despite the fact that the maid before her had served her and Nunnally for years.

The maid simply shook her head. "Nothing, Lelou-sama. I am just glad. If you are with them, they must show promise. You would not help anyone with a false front, so they must intend to keep their word. I will only wish you luck, and pray that you do not come to harm. If something should happen though, rest assured I will look after Nunnally-sama as a member of my own family, as I consider both you and her to be."

Lelou gave a weak smile at that. "Thank you, Sayoko. You have no idea how relieved I am to hear you say that, not that I have any intention of letting something happen to me of course." The maid nodded with a little smile before stepping aside. "Good night, Sayoko."

"Good night, Lelou-sama."

_**Wednesday, October 24, 2017 a.t.b. 0120 hrs** _

She was late. The patrols had made it more difficult than it should have been to get into the ghetto, and she'd spent far too long learning the patterns before risking slipping past. She'd finally made it though, clad in Zero's outfit and mask given that the abandoned office building was a Black Knight's base, and more than just a few of the newer recruits would be present. She was pleased as she was ordered to halt by a sentry, who only allowed her to proceed upon checking the 'identity' card to prove that she was actually Zero.

A young corporal saluted as she approached, showing the way when she asked where General Kaname and the other officers were. "They're in a meeting with a group that arrived with an introduction from Kyoto. They're right in here, Zero." He saluted once more before turning to leave as he left her standing in front of a closed conference room.

She pushed the door open and closed it behind her. Ohgi must have arrived just a moment before her as she heard him sputtering in surprise. "Y-you're the Four Holy Swords!" That made an eyebrow raise behind the mask, and she strode into the room, seeing Ohgi standing just inside the door, Kallen, Diethard, and Suzaku sitting at a conference table across from four people wearing the old Japanese military uniforms.

The Black Knights all stood upon seeing their leader, all of them coming to a semblance of attention, though only Suzaku and Diethard truly managed it. She waved away the formality, making her way to the head of the table.

The eldest of the JLF members stood as well, and held a hand out. She took the hand, smiling as he gripped a little harder than she would expect. The expressions on the others weren't terribly pleasant. _They don't seem to be particularly pleased to be dealing with us, though I suppose they may have some animosity over the Kawaguchi affair, and likely Narita if they haven't managed to hear from Katase._

"Zero, I'm Captain Senba Ryouga. We've come to you because Kyoto was telling us that you're the only ones that would be able to help."

She blinked wondering just what was going on, but sat down in the comfortable seat. "Captain Senba, I'm afraid you have me at a bit of a disadvantage, I've only just arrived and have yet to be able to catch up on the day's events. Could you explain the situation for me?"

He nodded, taking his own seat. "Of course, Zero. Lt. Colonel Toudou has been captured by the Viceroy. She and her knights laid a trap for us, and we were only able to escape when the Colonel sacrificed himself. We had feared that he had been killed in battle, but Kyoto learned that he was captured and his execution has been scheduled."

Lelou nodded. "And so Kyoto sent you to us to keep you from doing something foolish like trying to free him with just the four of you." She smirked as she saw the anger flaring in the eyes of the three who had not yet spoken, though it was particularly pronounced in the woman. Captain Senba on the other hand, simply laughed.

"Kirihara warned me that you'd be able to read us easily, Zero. I hadn't really believed him, but it seems I was wrong not to." He took a breath as the humor left his expression. "Frankly, none of us particularly like you or the Black Knights. Even if Kusakabe was a fool to do what he did, he was still one of us, and a patriot who deserved better than to have you aid Britannians in his defeat."

The Black Knights stiffened at his declaration, but Lelou quickly held them off with a raised palm, and motioned for the Captain to continue. The older man glowered slightly, but pressed on. "That said, Kyoto feels that you are the only ones who would be able to pull this off, particularly if the aid that you recruited arrives on schedule. And if Kirihara trusts you enough to reveal his identity to you as he told me he did, then I shall trust you until we free the Colonel and get his opinion on how to deal with the current situation."

 _I see Kyoto has a more effective information network than I expected. To have learned that Rakshata will be aiding the Black Knights so quickly after I did, even with C.C. being cautious like I told her to be._ "Well then, Captain. If both you and Kirihara are requesting the aid of the Black Knights, how could we refuse?" She turned to Diethard, who was well on his way to skyrocketing from Captain to at least Lieutenant Colonel given his information gathering and analysis skills. "Captain Reid, may I assume that you have information on where the Colonel is being held?"

The blonde Britannian chuckled as he gave a slight bow. "Of course, Zero. I spoke with Captain Senba for a few minutes before your arrival, shall I pull up everything we have on the Chofu Detention Facility?" She didn't miss the suspicious looks that were thrown his way given the particular accent he had when speaking Japanese.

_I suppose that's just something that they'll have to get used to. The Black Knights aren't just fighting for Japan, so why should only the Japanese be allowed to join? Hopefully they'll understand once we've successfully pulled the Colonel out of the fire._

_**0330 hrs** _

Lelou stifled a yawn as the Four Holy Swords filed out of the conference room. They'd clearly not been happy with Reid's presence, or the fact that he had such a large hand in designing the actual plan that they'd be using to free Toudou. No complaints had arisen though, between the information that the Britannian Black Knight Captain provided, and the multiple contingency plans that she had provided, the JLF members had seemed almost eager and confident about their chances of rescuing Toudou.

Ohgi and Kallen had excused themselves along with their guests, and Suzaku saluted before leaving to continue training the continual inflow of recruits. Reid was still in his seat, making a few notes on his laptop before looking towards Zero, seeing the masked man leaning back in the chair. "Is something troubling you about the plan, Zero?"

She sat back up, placing one hand on the table, silently drumming her index finger on it. "No, Captain. The plan, and the contingencies, are fine. I'm just wary of striking the detention facility. It's practically in the middle of a ring of military bases. I know we have covered most of the possibilities, but if the Demon Murphy meddles in a spectacular way, we're going to be hard pressed to get out alive, much less intact."

The Captain's eyes narrowed as he gazed at the masked figure, causing a shiver to run up her spine as if he was able to peer through the mask as if it was nothing. "That's not the Zero who stood on the highway facing down Margrave Gottwald with only a smoke bomb. What happened to that Zero?" His tone was somewhere between accusatory and curious.

"When you and I first spoke, Captain. Before I approved your acceptance into the Black Knights, you told me that all you want is the story. Be it a resounding success, complete with the freeing of Japan, or a crushing defeat that leads to our execution. I accepted you anyways, because you will be useful here. You've proven that many times over, even if I don't think that you believe in the Black Knight's creed. I however, do. As do all of the other officers save perhaps Colonel C.C. The endgame, the ultimate goal of the Black Knights is too much to risk over one man. Even a man revered as Toudou, even a man that I personally admire."

She didn't miss Reid's tensing at her last words. The man was too sharp for his own good. "So the great Zero, hero and upholder of justice does understand that ruthlessness is required upon occassion."

"Of course. Why do you think I'm going to be letting the Four Holy Swords do most of the work for this operation? A quick in and out, no more than 10 minutes, and even if it does go to hell, all we'll lose is a few of the new Knightmares that our new engineer is bringing along, and four JLF pilots that have demonstrated questionable loyalty to our cause at best."

He laughed at that. "Zero, there's a reason I follow you, and I think that's it. I don't particularly care about your goal, but the way that you'll use pieces in practically any way in your pursuit of it is just great."

She watched him as he stood, sketching a salute before he too left the room. _I'm not sure I want to be praised by him... He's right though. I am willing to do that, and I have to be. With the stakes being the fate of the human race, I have to be._

_**Saturday, November 3, 2017 a.t.b. 1753 hrs** _

Kallen was not a happy individual. Her life seemed to have lost all semblance of normalcy in the past few weeks. As normal as the life of a Japanese resistance fighter can get anyways. _No, it's not that you're not happy. You've just been thrown for too many loops without enough time to recover between them. Thinking you were about to die in Shinjuku, only to be saved last moment by that scum Clovis, then finding out that Clovis was dead, and then the mad scheme of 'Zero' to free Kururugi._

She sighed as she looked down at herself, staring with bemusement at the Black Knight's uniform with a Captain's insignia on it. Indeed it meant more to her than she thought it would, though she still hadn't discarded the red head-band that Naoto had turned into their symbol as his resistance fighters. None of the 'original' Black Knights had.

She leaned back in couch as she looked around the ridiculous headquarters that Lelou had obtained. Naoto's plans had worked, but they only struck light blows, and even then they tended to wait weeks between attacks. _Admit it. Even despite being a Britannian princess, Lelou has done more for Japan in the past weeks than even the JLF managed in years. We go days between attacks, and every single one is against targets that we wouldn't dare strike as a resistance group. Some the JLF wouldn't even dare. Such as what we're doing tonight. Chofu? Crazy. Even if it's for Toudou._

She'd long since decided that following Lelou was the path to Japan's liberation though, and so she put up with Lelou's frequent bouts of insanity. Especially after they worked time and time again. Kallen had wondered about the wisdom of allowing Britannian's to join the Black Knights, but she had to admit, Diethard Reid had proven himself a master of gathering information. And the Earl that Lelou called 'Uncle' made her wonder if the occasional madness she showed in her plans was a result of time spent with him, but he'd upgraded their Burais with an offhand sort of ease. He and Cecile had done it as a side project while they modified the Lancelot with the resources Lelou had provided them with.

And now, here they were about to embark on another one of their crazy plans. There were only seven Knightmares in their little convoy that had been hidden under a rail line. Seven Knightmares to break into Chofu to release Toudou and then escape. _To be honest though, if I only had a Burai, I'd be more than happy to trade it for one of the Gekkas that Indian woman brought us._

"Do you think throwing in with these Black Knights was a good idea?" She frowned at the tone from one of the so called Four Holy Swords. The man wasn't shy about questioning the allies he'd asked for aid.

"We couldn't think of another way to rescue the Colonel. It was this or watch him die." The woman's tone wasn't terribly friendly either. _Nagisa Chiba, that was her name._ She walked around the corner, ignoring their gazes as she walked towards the trailer where the others were working on the Guren.

"True, but their guiding principles seem to be a little wrong. They've done more police work than work to liberate Japan." Kallen turned her head back to glare at the glasses wearing JLF soldier. _We've done more good than you know. Lelou knows what she's doing. She's building the support we'll need from the people to free Japan. I'd like to see the JLF do that, even before Narita._

The older soldier cut them off, telling them to worry about that after they'd freed the Colonel. _At least one of them has the sense to not piss off the only people who can help them._ She ignored them after that, walking over the to the Guren as it sat in the back of the truck, Tamaki shouting something about stuffing something in and shutting the lid.

 _I'm glad he's just 'supervising' and not actually touching the Guren. At least I can trust Yoshida to ignore him and do the job right._ She turned a head as a sultry voice called out beside her. She blinked as she saw the Indian woman pointing accusingly at Tamaki with a pipe. "Treat it with more care! I'll be collecting from you if something happens to my baby because of shoddy maintenance."

Tamaki retorted, demanding to know just who would dare question his methods. "And who the hell are you to order a Black Knight around?"

She gave a smile that wasn't pleasant at all, in fact it reminded Kallen of the smiles that Cecile would give Lloyd when he said something particularly stupid, usually just before the scientist's pained moan echoed through whatever space they were in. "I'm the Guren's mother you little cretin."

Fortunately, Lelou arrived, masked and sounding like a man. _That is a little disconcerting to be honest now that I know who's beneath it._ "I'm glad that you were able to make it in time for this operation, I apologize for not being able to meet you when you arrived in Japan, Rakshata."

The woman turned, cocking her head at Zero. "Hmm. So you're Zero. It's a pleasure. I've heard all sorts of things about you. In particular one nasty rumor that you might have let another scientist touch my baby."

Lelou stepped closer to the woman, holding a hand out to shake. Rakshata gave a little snort before shaking as Lelou spoke. "The pleasure is all mine, Rakshata. I enjoyed reading about your work on the net in the past, particularly your work in medical cybernetics. I was quite sad when you disappeared and stopped publishing." Zero gave a little chuckle before continuing. "And you're well informed, the answer is yes, I have let another touch the Guren. It was necessary I'm afraid, though you're likely familiar with him. The Earl of Yorkshire, one Lloyd Asplund."

Rakshata's eyes had widened in surprise that Zero had read the rather obscure articles that she'd published as offshoots springing from her initial forays into Knightmares, but the news about Asplund clearly stunned her. "Surely you jest. The Pudding Earl? He was in the pocket of the Britannian Prime Minister last I heard."

"It's a recent change. I gave him more reason to side with the Black Knights. He told me to tell you that he only did maintenance, and didn't modify anything as soon as he recognized the Guren as being one of yours. Something about the fear of retribution even worse than the wrath of Cecile Croomy."

She chuckled at that. "Well then, that's fine. I'm glad the lesson I taught him has managed to stick despite his unreasonable personality." She pulled a ring of activation keys from the pocket of her lab coat. "Ah, and here are the keys to the Gekkas for your pilots. I bring other gifts as well, outfits for the pilots, complete with your Knights' sigil. I hope you don't mind that I played with the design of the suits."

Zero nodded, tone pleased. "Not at all, Rakshata. As long as you're with us, feel free to experiment and play to your heart's content as long as it doesn't do anything untoward to our capabilities.

Kallen had been content to sit back and just listen as she prepared herself mentally for the coming operation. But the thought of a pilot suit caught her attention. _I wonder if they'll help us fight more effectively..._ She twitched as Zero called her over. "Kallen, go suit up."

"Uh, sure." She took the red suit from Zero, heading into the truck to change out of sight. She twitched as she unbuttoned her uniform jacket. _Funny how it almost bothers me to take this thing off..._ She blinked as she looked at the instructions pinned inside the suit when she picked it up. _Wait... completely naked when you put this thing on?_ She sighed as she removed her underthings as well before sliding her legs into the suit, shivering slightly at the sensation of the odd material sliding against her skin.

 _It's tight... this is going to take some getting used to._ She smiled happily at the pads over her knees. _Oh hell yes! No more bruised knees! I had trouble walking for days after fighting Suzaku at Narita._ She frowned as she began to pull the zipper up to seal the suit. _Rather tight across the chest... I'll have to ask if that can be adjusted a little._

Kallen walked back out trying hard to ignore Tamaki's stare as the suit left even fewer of her curves to the imagination than her uniform did. She looked to Rakshata and asked the question that she'd been wondering about. "So... Is this really going to improve the linkage system?"

The Indian woman just laughed. "Of course not. It's designed to improve pilot life expectancy."

"Oh. Any chance I could get one that doesn't evoke that reaction?" She points a finger over her shoulder at Tamaki.

Rakshata just chuckles, walking towards Kallen. The red-head looked back at the blonde woman as she followed Tamaki's gaze. Giving a laugh, she caresses Kallen's ass. "Oh no, I think this one works just fine."

Kallen shot Lelou a rather old fashioned look, her thoughts obvious. 'I thought we already had one crazy scientist, and you bring in another?'

While she couldn't see the grin, she was fairly certain it was there as Lelou just returned a shrug.

_**1857 hrs** _

"Three minutes... Keep it together Kallen. You shouldn't even be nervous. You're just guarding Zero." She looked over at the monitor on her left. "They're the ones that are going to be doing the real work of holding off the Sutherlands on the base and drawing attention while we go grab the Colonel."

She shook her head with a sigh. _You always have jitters before it starts. You know that the moment Zero says go, that'll disappear like it never happened and you'll only get the shakes once you're back sitting in the truck as we bug out. I wonder if I'll ever get used to this?_

Taking a deep breath, Kallen closed her eyes. Just waiting. They opened with a flash as Zero's voice called out over the radio. "Here we go!" Moments later, the charges they'd placed on the tunnel roof exploded, opening a ten meter wide hole almost directly against the detention facilities outer wall. The Gekkas sped towards the hole, leaping out as they place more charges against the wall.

She and Lelou moved towards the hole as the charges opened a breach in the wall that they sped through even before the smoke and flames had cleared. Lelou's Burai followed a few seconds behind, with the Guren right behind it. She couldn't help but whistle at the work done by the four in the Gekkas. There were at least eight Sutherlands and a Gloucester in pieces, and all she could see of the Holy Swords was the vicious red glow of their blades as they sped towards the other Knightmares that had been tasked with defending Chofu.

Kallen nodded as she watched Lelou planting charges on the inner wall. _I may not approve of their attitude towards the Black Knights, but they're certainly good at what they do, especially when you give them a machine that can handle their skill._

The charges detonated hardly before Lelou was clear, but she'd proven she knew what she was doing time and time again. The line that followed caused her to cringe. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more!"

 _Leave it to Lelou to quote Shakespeare in the midst of battle._ The Guren's landspinner's squealed as she followed the Burai into the opening, seeing the blockhouses that housed the prisoners. She gave a little chuckle as she opened her own channel. "Cry 'God for Zero, Japan, and the Black Knights!'"

Zero's laugh followed that even as they sped towards the location that Lelou had somehow managed to come up with as being where the Colonel was held. "Why Kallen! I didn't realize you paid attention in your literature courses."

"Call it a personal fault of mine, and why not turn their own famous lines against them?" She smiled as Lelou chuckled again. She refocused as they hit the target blockhouse, following Lelou's order to use the surger to break in. This was the part of the plan she'd disliked the most. She was too used to having the heavy armor of a Knightmare surrounding her in battle.

Lelou was right though, they needed to go in on foot to make sure they didn't accidentally kill the Colonel while trying to rescue him. And so she pulled the activation key to the Guren while adjusting the visor to make sure it was properly hiding her identity. As the hatch slid up, she pulled the assault rifle from the mounting it had been secured it and dismounted, looking over to Lelou as she was descending. _This is insanity, just the two of us rushing in like this?_

She didn't have any choice but to charge after Lelou as her cape fluttered behind her as she rushed into the hole. Lelou went left from the hole, while Kallen went right. Her heart was pounding as her boots pounded on the concrete floor. And then she saw two guards charging down the hall towards her. She swore as she crouched down, pulling the weapon up as Kururugi had taught, and unleashed a small burst towards them. One went down with a pained cry as her bullets stitched over his abdomen. The other ducked behind a pillar before unleashing a volley of his own, sending Kallen diving for the pillar to her right, but not before she cried out in pain as one of the bullets hit her thigh.

Lelou had finished her sweep of the other end of the hallway and had been hurrying to follow Kallen down what was likely the more dangerous path. Kallen tucked herself up behind the pillar as she looked down, at her thigh, expecting to see mangled flesh and blood leaking over the concrete floor, but was astonished by only seeing lead and copper twisted in the suit's material.

"Q-1! Are you ok? Where are you hit?!" Even with the disguised voice, she could hear Lelou's concern.

"I'm fine Zero! Looks like I owe the designer of this suit a 'Thank you.'"

"Worry about that later! We need to take care of that guard, the target's two cells towards us from his location." With that, Zero rushed forwards, drawing fire from the guard. Lelou seemed ok as she ducked behind another pillar, but Kallen heard the click coming from the guard's empty weapon.

She didn't think. She just acted, rushing towards the guard, covering the distance between them faster than she'd thought possible before she slid past the pillar and unleashed a hail of fire that silenced the guard. "Good work, Q-1. Now let's get the Colonel out of here, watch that end for reinforcements, our side is clear."

Kallen nodded as she reloaded her rifle, carefully watching as she listened to Zero working at the cell's door. She heard the unfamiliar voice of the Colonel speaking. "Zero."

"A pleasure to meet you, Toudou Kyoshiro. Captain Kouzuki and I have come to rescue you at the behest of your Four Holy Swords and Kyoto. If you'd follow us, we'll have you out of here and then we can worry about the remaining formalities later on." Kallen just shook her head. How Lelou could be so calm in a situation like this was beyond her. More guards appeared, and she sent them spiraling back and diving for cover as she opened fire.

"Zero! We need to go now!" She knew her voice was strained, and that she likely sounded scared out of her wits; she didn't care though. While Kururugi had told her she was actually quite good at infantry tactics, she didn't feel as good about it as she did piloting.

"You heard the woman, Colonel, let's get those cuffs off you and get out of here."

Kallen emptied her magazine and turned, moving as fast as she could while ducked down in a half-crouch to make herself a smaller target as return fire poured down the corridor after them. They were lucky though, nothing managed to impact them and Kallen breathed a sigh of relief as she dashed through the hole, making her way back to the relative safety of the Guren's cockpit.

She powered up the Guren and followed Zero's Burai as they hustled back the way they came. Zero was passing orders to the Four Holy Swords, telling them to fall back that the mission had been accomplished. They acknowledged, and began popping the smoke canisters that they had while making their way back to the hole they'd initially made to infiltrate the facility.

Kallen swore as she looked up, seeing air transports in the distance, but then she looked again, they wouldn't be arriving before they were underground again. She blinked at that. She'd thought they'd spent an eternity in the blockhouse rescuing the Colonel, but apparently the clock believed it had only been about four minutes.

She sighed as the tension flowed out of her as she was the last one to jump back into the tunnel as they sped towards escape. _This is why you follow Lelou. She can manage to free a prisoner as well guarded as Colonel Toudou in the middle of Chofu, and then get us out even before the military bases right next door can even manage to react._

Not that following her as Zero was going to stop her from complaining about never wanting to do something crazy like rushing into an enemy prison block on foot, especially now that her thigh was throbbing with what would probably be a spectacular bruise when she peeled herself out of the flight suit. _I have to thank Rakshata as well, I'll take a bruise over bleeding out any day._


	16. Chapter 16

_**Saturday, November 10, 2017 a.t.b. 1020 hrs** _

It was uncharacteristically warm for the time of the year that it was. So far as Lelou was concerned anyways. _Although I suppose it comes with_ _the territory of being in the middle of the Pacific ocean._ She looked around, seeing nothing but water clear to the horizon, even with the zoom enabled by the mask. She twitched as a voice announced itself, having come up from the hatch as she stared into the distance.

"Zero." She felt herself stiffening automatically at the familiar voice, but quickly forced herself to relax as she slowly turned to face Toudou.

He had returned to wearing his uniform. _I hope that he'll be willing to remain here rather t_ _han going to the Federation to join up with the remnants of the JLF._ "Colonel, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Toudou gave a small smile at the question. "I've been meaning to speak with you, actually. You're a hard man to pin down though. Not to mention your comrades are excellent at running interference when you're 'busy,' though sometimes I wonder if it's more due to the fact that you aren't present at all at those times." He gave a small chuckle as Zero simply gave a small nod that gave no information one way or the other.

"Your Black Knights, why do you have a Britannian media-man in such an important position? Why is a Britannian Earl amongst your Engineering department? Why, no, how did you manage to convince Kururugi to join? He was a student of mine long ago, and he never betrayed his word, even as a child."

"Most of my officers already know the answer to those questions. Have your subordinates not been having success in getting mine to open up?"

The Colonel sighed at that. "No, aside from Senba, my subordinates are rather open about their dislike for you and your Black Knights. And when I spoke with them, even those who show an unreasonable admiration for me immediately went silent when I pressed them for information regarding you. You have instilled an impressive amount of loyalty in Japanese patriots to be able to have them work with those that could be considered traitors and even the enemy."

He blinked as a chuckle came from behind the mask. "It's because I have shown them what they are capable of, and because I lead them towards the future. Toudou-sensei, you were the one to teach me how to do that. I hope you will forgive me for having avoided you most of the week, but I was interested in testing my subordinates. To see how far their loyalty went when presented with a hero that wanted information on me from them."

Toudou's eyes narrowed as he glared at the mask. "Very few are allowed to call me Sensei. I would ask that you do not do so again. Your Black Knights are loyal though. That red-headed half-Britannian captain of yours, she nearly assaulted Asahina when he mocked some of your recruits for following a crazed fool in a mask."

"Toudou-sensei, you yourself gave me the right to call you that the last time I saw you." The reaction he gave when she pulled the mask off was even more entertaining than Kirihara's had been. _I need to stop enjoying revealing the secret so much. I can't risk the Emperor discovering what I'm up to, nor can I risk losing allies for being a Britannian Princess, even_ _if an exiled and disgraced one._

Hearing her own voice when she spoke was almost odd. She'd grown used to hearing Zero's voice. "As for Kallen, I am rather pleased with how willing she is to defend me given that she knows exactly who and what I am."

Toudou broke out into an almost hysterical laugh as the shock finally faded. Lelou was almost about to begin edging away from him as it seemed like the ever-collected man who had put her through some rather hellish training as a girl had finally snapped.

"Kirihara did tell me that I would like you eventually, Zero... No. Lelou vi Britannia. And right now, I can't argue with his claim. It all makes sense now. And even Kururugi, he always was rather attached to you when you were younger. I imagine he viewed an oath of friendship from years past to be a higher priority than an oath to the Empire." He blinked at the odd reaction the mention of Kururugi evoked. "Oh, or perhaps Kururugi viewed love as more important? That's not what I would have expected out of him, though a good enough woman will do strange things to a man."

Lelou felt her cheeks heating, and couldn't help but look away from him. "I never figured that you would be one to tease others, sensei."

He gave a little shrug at that. "We are never completely what others see in us. After all, you are no longer a bitter child. Nor are you innocent. When I was teaching you and Kururugi, I would never have thought you capable of pulling the trigger with your brother at the other end of the gun. Indeed, your father might even be proud of you. You've gone from abandoned princess to a masked avenger."

Her eyes narrowed in anger at that. "Do not speak of him to me like that. That isn't why I donned this mask, Toudou. I'm not so childish as to desire the destruction of Britannia simply because of what was done to my sister and I. It was merely what put me on this path. I am going to take the Black Knights and build a world where people everywhere have a say in the direction their world moves, rather than the current one, where they are subject to the whims of their 'betters.'"

Toudou held his students gaze a moment before nodding in satisfaction. "Good. You haven't forgotten the lessons I taught you then. Always remember your past. It allows you to understand who you are. But do not let it rule you, or else you will never be able to progress."

"Nor have I forgotten how irritating your style of teaching can be for the student. Or the bruises that you left me with when you were tossing Suzaku and I around in the dojo."

"Good. Simply more evidence that my style works well." He chuckled quietly before he looked to the east. "So what becomes of me? Am I to be shipped off to the Federation like General Katase to help whatever plans you have going on there?"

She shook her head before tucking a lock of hair back behind her ear. "Actually no. I'm rather hoping you'll accept the job offer I'm about to present you." He cocked an eyebrow at that and motioned for her to continue. "While I'm confident in my tactical abilities, the Black Knights are growing quickly. I won't be able to be everywhere that I need to be at once. And so, I'd like to offer you a position with us, namely being third in command after myself and Kaname Ohgi. You'll be commanding all of the Black Knight's armed forces if you accept."

"And when you have won, Japan is free to do as her people please." It wasn't a question, mmore of a demand tempered by knowledge of what the Black Knights had spoken of in response to his questions.

"That is my promise, given to the men and women who follow me despite knowing who I am. As well as the oath I have made to make up for my deception in wearing this mask."

Toudou sighed as he looked down into her face. "You were always the most difficult student of mine to read. I can neither tell if you're speaking the truth or a lie. When you were younger, it was only harder to tell. Now? I can't tell at all. However. It is also true that you are the best hope for a free Japan now that Katase had to retreat." Snapping a quick salute, he spoke. "Very well then, Lelou, Zero, I accept your offer, and I will do what I can to convince my officers to join me."

"Excellent. Congratulations on your promotion, General Toudou." She slipped a hand into her pocket and brought out the pin with a General's single star.

"I see that your tendency to plan out everything ahead of time has only strengthened in recent years. I suppose it's a good thing that I'll be along to show you where you're overreaching like you used to."

"Just try not to reprimand me with the old 'Idiot Princess' line you'd always mutter."

"And you are never going to let me live that down, will you? It was one time, and before I had the chance to... coax the Britannian portions of your personality out of you."

She simply laughed as she drew her hair back up before replacing the mask, giving a wave before she descended back into the Jiyu's interior.

_**1020 hrs** _

Suzaku nodded as the majority of the group finished their exercises. He and Kallen had finished first, and were standing off to the side as he called out encouragement to them. _The only reason some of them even bother listening to me is probably a combination of Lelou giving me this position, as well as the fact that I never make them do anything that I don't do myself_ _with them._

Kallen panted as she wiped her face with a towel before draping it around her neck as she gave Captain Kururugi a rather indignant look. "How the hell are you not exhausted after that?"

He blinked as he turned his head towards her. She was breathing heavily, her chest rising and falling rapidly covered only by a black sports bra. The shorts that she was wearing hid little as well, and her legs really did draw the eye, even with the large bruise that was slowly fading. He quickly averted his gaze with a blush, which drew a small chuckle from the other ace. Suzaku quickly cleared his throat. "It's something that I've been doing almost every day ever since I joined the army. I've always been pretty active, but I've never wanted to get out of the habit of doing this. Plus, it seems to be doing our recruits well enough."

"If you mean making them contemplate your murder, oh yes, excellent job. A training routine that can even be done aboard a submarine. And a Captain that's willing to force them to train even on what should be a pleasure cruise compared to our usual operations. What's the Britannian phrase, you're setting yourself up to get fragged? Well, you would be if you didn't complete the training with them anyways."

Suzaku laughed, if a little uncomfortably at that. He got along well enough with the other officers, excluding Tamaki, but the recruits were hit and miss. "Well, at least they'll probably appreciate the fact that I'm going to end the training here when they finish up. Actually, I'll let you tell them. I'm going to go wander a bit. I've wanted to explore the Jiyu for a while now, but I've been too busy recently."

Kallen laughed as he walked away, making a comment about him not wanting to seem like he was going soft in front of the newbies. _She's not wrong though. The way some of them look at me, it's a good thing that I don't let any of them near loaded weapons until I've_ _had time to show them that I'm one of them._

_They're not wrong about you though. You're a traitor and you've proven that time and time again. Killing your father, joining the Empire, and then even abandoning the Empire the first chance a more acceptable al_ _ternative arose. Why, I can't help but wonder how long it will take you to betray your little princess, love or no._

Suzaku winced at that, the side of him that never ceased to mock him for his mistakes rearing its ugly head once again. _Father was calling_ _for complete resistance. Even he knew that the war was already lost. All that continued resistance would have brought was even more suffering and death the the Japanese. I joined the Empire to change it from within. Working outside of it at the time would_ _have changed nothing._

_None of the resistance, or terrorist groups had a chance of doing anything, aside from the JLF, but they were constantly being harried by the Britannians for exactly that reason. I betrayed the Empire because what Lelou is trying to_ _do is right, even if it's done in the wrong way. She's not wrong in saying that the harm that would come to people in the time it took to change Britannia would make the eventual change worthless._

_And when someone comes along with a better philosophy than_ _your Princess?_

He closed his eyes as he stood in the corridor trying to shake off the sense of self-loathing that came with the voice of his inner devil. _That won't happen. Lelou has never been wrong in the important things. Never led me astray when it t_ _ruly mattered. I will follow her until death. I swore myself to her service. And she knows exactly what I was doing. She knows that she is now my liege, and it is my duty to protect her. And that is a duty I have no issue with._

He was tugged forcefully out of his thoughts by a hand gripping his wrist, pulling him down the corridor. He blinked, seeing the back of Zero's mask, a few wispy strands of black waving out as He was drug towards the officer's cabins. He didn't say anything; rather, he didn't trust himself to say anything just yet, and so he remained silent until he shut the door behind him.

Suzaku glanced about the room, it was rather spacious, twice the size of his own. _Though admittedly, on a submarine I'm surprised to have a private cabin at_ _all. Even if it's only just large enough for a bed and a desk._

His eyes landed on her as she pulled off the cape and removed the mask, a worried expression on her face. "Suzaku. You know I don't like seeing you brooding like that. Nor is it acceptable for an officer of the Black Knights to look like that when they might be seen by their subordinates."

The Captain winced at her words. Her gentle tone had done little to mitigate the effect they had. He stiffened, almost coming to attention before her. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I'll keep that in mind and won't let it happen again." _Wrong words you idiot! Yes, she's a princess, but you needn't remind her of that when her goal is the defeat of the Empire that she's a princess of._

She twitched at that, giving him a hurt look. "I didn't mean it like that, Suzaku." She sighed as she stepped over to him, wrapping her arms around him as she pressed her cheek into his collar, causing him to go tense. "What I meant was that I hate seeing you looking like that. You aren't meant to have that expression. And I haven't seen it since... before we got separated during the invasion." Lelou took a deep breath as she squeezed herself a little tighter against him. "I don't want to see you looking like that. You can tell me anything, Suzaku. I want you to be at your best so we can change this world. I want you to be happy. B-because seeing you happy will make me happy."

 _H-how can she say something like that so easily?_ He felt his cheeks heating, knowing that he was going beet red as she plastered herself against him. "You... you wouldn't say that if you knew what I've done. You wouldn't want to see my face, and you certainly wouldn't... love me."

She looked up at him, and he saw the anger flaring in those violet eyes. "That isn't your decision. It's mine. And nothing would make me feel any different about you."

Suzaku stared silently for a moment, almost losing himself in her eyes. His jaw moved, and his mouth opened against his will as he croaked out a question. "And when I told you that I stole Japan's choice to fight by killing my father?"

That made her twitch. Were it not for his own feelings on what he'd just admitted, he would have been amused. It was rare that anyone could surprise Lelou, much less get her to show it. She pulled back from him, and he could see the thoughts whirling in her eyes. "So that's why you joined the Empire. It makes sense now, why you were so willing to join the empire, and go back to them even when an almost certain death awaited you at the hands of that court martial."

He winced again as she continued. "You're trying to atone for that sin. Through trying to better the lot of the Japanese, or self destruction." _She always could read me when provided enough information. I really should stop being surprised when she proves she knows me as well as I do... if not better._

"That's... not completely right, but you aren't wrong. But I have a responsibility to Japan. I have to give my country back its right to choose, because I destroyed it in my selfishness. After that, I will pay for my crime."

"No. Our work will not be finished. I will need you to help maintain the world that we will create. I'm not so naive as to believe that human nature will be changed in an instant when we topple Britannia and those that would maintain the status quo. You will pay for your crime by helping me. And I won't allow any argument. I know that I told you I would not bind you to the oath you gave me, but I will if that's the only option I have. You're too important to me to let you destroy yourself for the sake of your sense of justice."

He looked like he was about to argue, but the intercom beeping cut him off, Ohgi's voice coming through. "Zero, Diethard's come through with some intelligence that you'll be interested in. We're heading to the conference room to take a look at it."

"Understood. I'll head up there momentarily." She looked to Suzaku once the intercom link was broken. "Just promise me, Suzaku. Don't do anything without talking to me about it first. I need you, more than you can imagine. Both as Zero, and Lelou."

He frowned a little, but nodded. "Even if you did not hold me to that oath, I hold myself to it. Lelou, for better or worse, I consider myself one of your Knights of Honor. You are my princess. I will do whatever is necessary to keep you safe, and obey any order you give me. I didn't swear that oath because you're a princess, but because you are my best friend and because I trust you." _It helps that you're the woman I love as well._

Evidently the unspoken words reached her as she blushed. "Fine, if that's how you're going to be about it, I won't try to sway you from the path you seem determined to walk. For now though, let's go see what they need me on the bridge for."

He nodded, following her out after she'd put the cape and mask back on. _Well, at least I'm along this time if she gets in trouble. I'm certainly not letting her go charging into a prison block on foot with only Kallen to guard her. It's a miracle as it is that Kallen got off with just that bruise rather than... worse._

_Took her long enough to decide that enough time had passed that the ASEEC wouldn't be labeled as traitors when the Lancelot showed back up on the battlefield just done up in black and silver. Though I suppose with the pride Lloyd has in Cecile's encryption systems, it probably would have taken them this long to crack it anyways. No matter. She's unhurt, and now I'll be there to make sure that she stays that way._

_**1230 hrs** _

Lelou ran a hand through her hair as she frowned, looking over the documents that Diethard had provided once more. She even managed to ignore the incredulous look on the Britannian's face. He'd been rather shocked when she'd simply removed her mask after the first hour.

All of the other officers present knew who she was after all. _And the mask can get pretty uncomfortable._ "So, Captain Reid. A Britannian noble is showing up, and is important enough for the sub-Viceroy to go out to meet them in person on Shikine Island. Why there? It's strategically unimportant. Why not Oshima? It's closer to the Tokyo settlement, and better defended. There's nothing on Shikine."

Diethard shrugged. "Zero," even with recognizing her, he steadfastly continued to address her by her resistance persona, "The intelligence department doesn't have enough to go on just yet. We can get access to some information, but analysis and interpretation is still a ways away. We're still building our networks after all. This is the information we have. The sub-Viceroy and this unknown noble will be arriving on Shikine tomorrow with only a small guard on the sub-Viceroy's part. The other noble is arriving with one ship, so their guard won't be very large either. It's an opportunity to strike a blow by capturing them both."

She sighed as she leaned back in the chair. "And reinforcements from Oshima would take plenty of time to arrive. The only catch is we have to move now to be within striking distance on time." She closed her eyes. _It's an opportunity, and it's certainly a good one. Plus, if there's one thing that would make Cornelia surrender, it would be getting our hands on Euphy._

Sitting back up, she glanced around the room. "Well, I suppose this will be as good a time as any to test out the Jiyu, and the stealth capabilities built into it, and what Rakshata and Lloyd tell me will come as a result of their 'Gefjun disturber' project. The primary objective is the capture of Princess Euphemia, secondary will be this other noble. Under no circumstances must Euphemia come to harm, is that understood? If there's one thing that would send my sister into a rage that the Black Knights are not yet powerful enough to stop it would be that. This other noble... I'll make that determination when we know who it is. Please do what you can to get us some more information there, Diethard."

Pausing to take a breath before she continued, she looked around again, noting the eager expressions despite the fact that there were only eight Knightmares available for them to use for this operation. "Set a course for Shikine, I'll be working on possible plans in the mean time. And tell Lloyd and Rakshata to start prepping the Guren, Lancelot, and the Gekkas. I want everything ready well in advance."

Most of the officers nodded and began to file out, but Reid remained, along with Suzaku, who had taken a position behind her chair and remained standing there for the whole meeting. She raised an eyebrow at the blonde Britannian when he laughed quietly.

"Zero, I thought your story was going to be great ever since I filmed you in that confrontation with the Margrave Gottwald on the highway. And now, knowing who is behind the mask, I can't help but think that some screenwriter must be behind all of this. A Princess, abandoned with her little sister in a country invaded, thought dead by all. Only she appears years later, leading the rebellion against her own country, going so far as to execute her own brother, and kill countless numbers of her country's soldiers." He laughed again. "No, I'm not convinced that many screenwriters would be able to sell such a ridiculous story. I look forward to seeing what happens to your rebellion, Your Highness."

She simply shook her head as he left with a bow. "We'll have to keep an eye on him, Suzaku. He's still a media man, no matter how useful he is to the Black Knights, he's here for Zero's story. And I don't think he would be above manipulating the story to ends that I might not appreciate if it were to make it 'better.' You'll also have your work cut out for you soon, I won't be wearing this mask much longer, even on the world stage. The sooner I reveal myself, the less tension there will be, which means the less work I'll have to do to prove that I'm not just orchestrating one of the Emperor's elaborate plots."

"Do what you think is necessary, Lelou. I will protect you from anything. After all, with the Lancelot, the only thing that would have a chance of getting through me would be Kallen and her Guren. And they're firmly on our side."

She smiled at that, turning in her seat to look up at him. "Thank you, Suzaku. This would be much harder if you weren't at my side, and even worse if I was having to fight you still." _I just hope you're right. The Emperor will spare no effort to try and remove me once I remove this mask completely, and it will be up to you to stop anything that he sends after me._


	17. Chapter 17

_**Friday, November 9, 2017 a.t.b. 2340 hrs** _

Cecile sighed as she herded Lloyd over to the makeshift dock. Shimoda was hardly a perfect place to load a submarine, but it was better than attempting it in Tokyo. He'd been cranky ever since Lelou had decided that they needed to leave the Tokyo settlement and make their way to Shimoda to put the Lancelot and the Guren aboard their new submarine. Lloyd had been no help with that, indeed she'd dealt with transferring the Knightmares alone, though that probably meant that it had been accomplished more efficiently anyways.

_And at least half of the difficulty is because of who brought us the submarine. With the other half being because of Lelou telling Lloyd that he was going to have to work with Rakshata._

Even now she didn't understand why the irascible scientist was always fighting with Rakshata. He had been the first to admit her ingenuity in the Radiant Wave Surger on the Guren that he'd been told to not touch, and promptly did anyways. And since her arrival in Japan, she'd been remarkably helpful in numerous regards with the engineering troubles they'd been having.

An offhand comment upon looking at their shared data for the Float system had led to an epiphany that had hit both Cecile and Lloyd at the same time, and the prototype model they'd built afterward worked. The full scale version for the Lancelot would be ready in weeks, and they'd passed the design over to Rakshata who was working on converting it to be applied to the Guren and the mass-production Gekkas.

_Soon the Black Knights will have the best quality Knightmares in the world, and the only ones capable of sustained flight. I just wish that we hadn't sent off our latest designs to Prince Schneizel's people before we joined up. It won't be long until they're able to match us in the flight department._

She sighed again as she placed her hands on Lloyd's back, pushing him down the ramp onto the Jiyu's deck. "Come on, Lloyd. Your niece is providing us plenty of data and even funds to continue our designs. I know you don't like Rakshata, but we have to take some of the bad with the good. Now be good, and I'll let you have two puddings tonight."

He let himself be pushed along, with only minor resistance, but he turned his head back with a bland expression cracked only by a small frown. "Really, Cecile? Bribery?" He gave a quick chuckle at that. "I might have to get a new assistant soon, you've learned how to manipulate me too easily."

"I'll be sure to leave a manual on how to deal with you, and recommend a good kickboxing instructor for the advanced portions of keeping you in line."

His frown deepened as his tone turned to one of distaste. "On second thought, I think I'll just stick with you. I think I've learned how to ride your punches."

Cecile raised an eyebrow at that. "Well then, I see that I'll need to stop holding back when disciplining you."

"Uh... No, of course not my dear, just because I can lessen the blow a little doesn't mean that it doesn't give the result you desire."

She held a frown a moment, but knew that was likely as close to an 'apology' as she would get out of him. She pointed towards the mini-fridge that she'd had placed in the hangar for the currency required to shift the Earl's focus without resorting to force. As he rushed over to the appliance, she called out quickly. "Only two!"

The Captain froze at the agonized croon of horror that came from the direction of scientist. Turning back, she hustles over towards him. "What is it? I know I got the type you like."

Shooting an accusatory glare over his shoulder, Lloyd sat on his heels in front of the open mini-fridge. An empty open mini-fridge. The pouting scientist pouted back at her. "Is this your idea of a joke, Cecile? It's not very nice."

She blinked at that. "What are you talking about? I filled it up before trying to bring you aboard."

Cecile twitched as a laugh came from behind her. She turned, taking in the sight of Rakshata finishing off one of the puddings. Looking back to Lloyd, she saw the slight twitch in his eye as he watched Rakshata.

"Well well, if it isn't the Pudding Earl and his keeper. We finally meet again, and on the same team this time. Cecile, you have my praise for your work on that Float system of yours. A remarkable bit of work."

"Thank you." Cecile nodded even as she kept her eyes on Lloyd, unsure of how he'd react given the animosity that he'd shown towards their Indian rival over the years since the rivalry had begun in their years at the University. Particularly given the method in which Rakshata had said hello.

Lloyd wasn't given the opportunity to say anything as Rakshata continued. "It was a stroke of pure genius. Now then, I've been told by our illustrious leader Zero that I'm to play nice with you despite the trouble you put me through, Lloyd. My pride however, requires that I get something of my own back. And so," she gave an evil smile as she waved the now empty container of pudding. "I've liberated your pudding and stashed it somewhere... safe. I'm prepared to release it back into Cecile's hands if you're willing to agree to a truce. We'll call it even, and start anew, without any university like bickering this time around."

Turning to look back at Lloyd, she saw his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. _She's got the right idea of negotiating with him at least. From a position of strength preferably with a hostage._ "I'm guessing that Zero will be telling me that I have to get along with you. And I know Cecile will force me to. And now you come before me eating one of my puddings and claiming that you've stolen the rest as vengeance for events of that seminar class." He frowned, giving a pout. "Fine then. We'll have your truce as soon as my desert is returned."

Cecile sighed with relief at that. She still didn't know what caused the initial animosity between the two, but if they could get along for a short while, perhaps they could find that they could bury the hatchet and get along. _Especially since at least Lloyd continually shows his admiration for her work. Maybe if we can get them to work together on a project we'll be able to get them to get along._

_**Sunday, November 11, 2017 a.t.b. 0800 hrs** _

Kallen took a deep breath as she pulled the never to be sufficiently damned pilot suit on. _Don't complain too much about it, the thing has saved you from getting a bullet in the leg. Even you have to admit that the suit performs as advertised and then some, and it's not as if you can't see why it causes so many stares._

She frowned at that thought as she draped her uniform jacket over her shoulders. _Now's hardly the time to be vain, Kallen. You're about to storm an island to capture a princess, with an unknown number of guards, with another noble on the way, also likely with guards. And all we have is the Guren, the Lancelot, and six Gekkas._

Personally, Kallen was a bit apprehensive about this whole situation. And nervous. Not that she would ever admit that to anyone. Though she did think that she'd been trying to play the fiery red-head role a bit too much since the briefing. _I know that Suzaku knows exactly how I'm feeling, but at least he hasn't said anything about it. General Toudou probably knows, but hopefully the rest of the Holy Swords don't._

She fought off a sigh as she thought back on the briefing. It had been short, for one run by Lelou. Though that was likely due to the lack of information that had prevented Lelou from doing her usual meticulous planning and countless contingencies. Even so, she wasn't worried. Toudou was an experienced soldier, and he hadn't shown any doubts, nor had his subordinates.

_And at least with Toudou along, someone was able to get her to see reason. She's a decent pilot, but there's no reason for her to be on the front lines. She should focus on commanding, and nothing would hurt us more than having her killed piloting a Knightmare. Or charging into a prison with only me for support._

She shuddered at that thought, sliding a hand down to her thigh, gently rubbing the bruise that lay just beneath the suit. _Though not just her,_ I _don't want to go charging into any hallways with pissed off Britannians with guns pointed at me. Not again._

Which was at least part of the reason that she was a bit less apprehensive about this operation even with less information. Lelou would be safely back in the submarine as it swung around just to intercept the noble's ship. _Which means she won't be able to do anything crazy like that and drag me into it this time._

She took a deep breath, looking at the time. She knew they were close to the island, the Jiyu had come to a halt earlier in the morning. They were in range that would allow the rockets that had been attached to the Knightmares. Euphemia's vessel had been detected a short while ago, but they still didn't have much information on her guards, with the cruiser and two destroyers escorting, they could be carrying at least twenty Knightmares between them.

_And Lelou still hasn't come to a decision on whether we should just take Euphemia as soon as she lands, or if we should wait for the other noble. Euphemia is obviously the priority, but... Maybe we're just getting greedy though. Let's just do what we can-_

Her thought was abruptly interrupted as her com beeped. Kallen stepped over the seat with one leg as she slid into the cockpit to reach the button to activate the video feed. Zero's mask appeared on the display. "Alright everyone. Toudou and I have come to agreement on the plan. We're going to focus on taking Euphemia. At their present speed, we estimate we've got about twenty minutes before they land. We're going to strike as soon as Euphemia has landed. The Jiyu will open up by sinking the cruiser and the escorts, and then we'll surface to launch the Knightmares."

Lelou paused before continuing in the voice that now seemed both completely natural and utterly wrong. "Again, Euphemia is not to be harmed under any circumstances. We will be falling back if we can't take her without risking her life. The plan is to be out within ten minutes of firing our first shots, so speed is of the essence. Captain Kururugi and Captain Kouzuki, you are to capture the princess and hold her and get her back here safely. General Toudou and the Swords are going to handle taking out the bulk of the guards and then covering our retreat. Any questions, comments, concerns?"

Kallen shook her head and settled into the cockpit, shuffling a little to get comfortable. Closing her eyes, she silently listened to the few comments. None of them coming from Suzaku. _Well, I suppose I shouldn't be so surprised, it's easy to tell that he trusts her even more than I do. Hell, he loves her. And I know she'll have thought of everything and more than I could have, that's why I don't bother asking questions anymore._

 _All that's left is to wait. In and out, just like Lelou said, nice and easy and then we'll be able to bargain with Cornelia. Capturing Euphemia today could lead to a free Japan even sooner than we'd hoped._ She couldn't help but smile at that thought. It hadn't been so long ago that she'd felt that she might never see it, particularly after Naoto's death.

_We're going to do it, Naoto. The resistance that you built has grown massively, to the point where we'll be able to be a true threat to Britannia. And knowing you, you'd probably just laugh at the irony that we've thrown in with a Britannian princess. I miss you, but I swear, we'll make your dream come true._

She twitched as she heard the general quarters alarm sounding in the Jiyu. Looking to the clock, indeed they were about to start the operation. She chuckled quietly to herself, drawing a raised eyebrow from a rating that had scrambled up to do the last check before launch. Shaking her head with a raised hand, the rating shrugged and went about his work before giving her the thumbs up. At his comment wishing her good luck, she smiled. "Thanks, you too."

She took a deep breath as she started up the Guren, her systems quickly linking with the Lancelot's and the Gekkas'. This was the hardest part, just before it began. At least she was able to watch displays that showed the Jiyu's location as it sailed unnoticed towards the Britannian vessels, its stealth courtesy of the nearly silent propulsion and the effects of some new toy the engineering department had put together. _Gefjun disturber, whatever the hell that is._

She blinked as a screen switched to a view from a camera she presumed was mounted on the periscope. She watched the surprisingly good quality of the image even though they were still a good three kilometers from the cruiser and the destroyers. And then she heard the order from Zero, they'd just fired a full spread of six torpedoes.

Six torpedoes, with another two following just behind. Two designated for each destroyer, and then four for the cruiser. _Euphemia must have disembarked then. Lelou is very intent on keeping her alive and unharmed._

Looking closely, she couldn't see any sort of bubble trail on the water as she'd seen in movies before. _I suppose that makes sense though, the bubble trail is a dead giveaway for a torpedo coming for you._ She blinked as she saw the icons for the torpedoes in the water. They were covering the distance to the Britannian ships as faster than she thought possible.

All of them were pushing forwards at nearly 20 meters per second, giving only two and a half minutes for the Jiyu to creep closer to the dock. It did though, and it wasn't until it was far too late that she saw the ships begin maneuvering frantically to avoid to torpedoes.

Both destroyers bucked as twin fireballs blossomed against their hulls. One simply snapped in half, both ends rapidly sinking into the deep waters of the port. The other was going down fast, the aft sinking rapidly. The cruiser fared better, it was listing starboard, but still it pushed forward, slowly turning towards the Jiyu, but it too fell victim when the follow up volley.

Kallen stared as the cruiser rolled, capsizing before going down itself. The Britannian navy was feared worldwide as the greatest the Earth had ever seen. And here, three of their vessels turned into shattered wrecks in mere moments. Lelou had an incredible level of influence, to be able to gain access to a weapon of war that could destroy three powerful vessels in minutes. _Another plan that I would have considered insane, yet it seems like it's going to work without an_ _y problems at all. Well, any problems from the Navy anyways. We can expect quite a few Knightmares to be guarding the princess. We'll manage to get through them, and then we'll bolt back for the Jiyu and be home free, with a princess to negotiate with Cornelia._

Vibrations shuddered through the Jiyu as its engines cranked up, sending it flying towards the surface. The black hull leapt with a shower of white spray before it splashed back down, remaining surfaced as hatches opened, bathing the Black Knight's Knightmares in sunlight. The Gekkas went first, led by Toudou's customized black Gekka. They disappeared in the roar and white smoke of the rockets sending them flying over the remaining kilometer to the island.

The entrance was a little flashy though, and it showed in fire immediately coming from Euphemia's guards. That was the sign that they were waiting for. She looked to her right, seeing the altered Lancelot for the first time. She raised an eyebrow at it. It looked like they'd simply painted it black and silver to oppose the original white and gold, but upon closer inspection, she did see some differences that went beyond aesthetics. The slash harkens appeared larger, and it appeared that they had given it a rifle that wasn't quite like the one that Suzaku had nearly killed her a time or two with.

This one was a little smaller, and had a line leading from the Lancelot's side. She shrugged at that though, figuring that Suzaku probably wouldn't use it much anyways. She knew he preferred the use of the MVS swords that were mounted near the cockpit. _Now isn't the time to worry about his machine. We're on the same side this time at least. Now we just get to see how rough the gee forces are._

Hearing the order to go from Lelou, she punched the button to activate the rockets, praying that Rakshata's crazy delivery method would work. Kallen blinked in confusion as nothing happened for a moment, but just before she radioed in that something was wrong, the Guren took off, literally like a rocket, drawing a pained moan as her bust smacks into the evidently not padded enough seat.

The frustration with the rocket powered system wasn't enough to keep her eyes from going wide with awe as she watched the water flashing by beneath her, at least until the rough landing sent her bouncing around the cockpit once again. Biting back a few choice words, she looked about taking in her surroundings. She'd landed in the middle of the warehouses that supported the dock, with the Lancelot just ahead of her.

She saw the first explosions as Toudou and his subordinates engaged the first of the guards on the dock. Things weren't going well for the Sutherlands and Gloucesters, despite their numerical advantage. The five plus Tamaki were doing cutting a swath through the guards despite being outnumbered four to one. Unit after Britannian unit went up in flames as their drives ignited from damage by the wrist-mounted cannons or the glorified chainsaws that Lloyd and Cecile were working on replacing with katanas that incorporated the MVS technology.

Not that Rakshata's chainswords were ineffective by any means, as ten smoking piles that had once been proud Britannian Knightmares could attest. Suzaku spotted what they'd been waiting for first. Two Gloucesters were pulling away, escorting a car that was rocketing towards the warehouses, making for the small Britannian base located on the island.

He keyed the radio, calling out to her, "That's got to be our target, you take the one on the left, I'll get the one on the right and stop the car."

"Alright, just be careful with the Princess." She knew the reminder was unnecessary, and he didn't respond, they simply positioned themselves out of sight of the Knightmares approaching them. _I'm not really a fan of setting an ambush like this, but we need to finish this quickly. The viceroy's surely been informed about our assault, and I'm sure the base is scrambling everything it has to keep the Princess safe._

She waited, watching Suzaku, moving the instant that the Lancelot sped around the corner, MVS leading the way, deftly removing the Gloucester's head, followed by a backswing that sent it toppling as both legs fell away.

She swung with the clawed arm, all but crushing her target's head before she spun around stabbing the dagger into the cockpit from behind. She felt a little guilty about specifically targeting the pilot, but she couldn't risk using the radiate wave surger so close the the Princess' car.

Looking back she saw Suzaku gently stabbing the engine block with the MVS, easily slowing the vehicle using the sword and the Lancelot as an anchor, bringing it to a halt. He radioed in that they'd stopped the Princess' vehicle, and Lelou as Zero quickly responded.

"Good work you two. Captain Kururugi, stay on guard. Kallen, I'm afraid I need to ask you to be the one to pull her out, be careful. She'll probably have a few guards with her, but I'm hopeful that they'll see the futility of resistance in this situation."

"No problem, Zero. Just so long as I start getting hazard pay for all of these non-pilot duties you keep having me do." She smiled at the returning chuckle as she opened her cockpit, pulling out the rifle that had seen her mostly intact through the prison break. Pulling on her visor, she slid down on the winch, settling the stock on her shoulder, but keeping it pointed unthreateningly away from the car as she approached, calling out to the occupants.

"Sub-Viceroy Euphemia, I'm here to deliver an invitation from Zero. Zero... requests your presence and has sent us to collect you." Had she not been so tense from the situation, she probably would have been amused at the reactions that her little speech was likely to evoke in the princess and her guardians. "You have my word on my honor as a Black Knight that you and your guards will not be harmed if you surrender and accompany me back to our base."

She hoped her twitch wasn't visible as the door finally cracked open, a large man with a general's insignia attached to his red uniform stepped out first. She looked at his face, an angry scowl present and turned all the more fierce by the scar running down from his brow on the left down to his right cheek. His tone was no more gentle than his expression. "You will regret doing this, Black Knight. You've won the day in battle, take your leave and the Viceroy will take that into account at your trials."

Kallen laughed. She couldn't help it. The sublime arrogance that she'd come to expect from Britannians was present in force with this general. She waved a hand quickly as his expression tightened, still keeping the weapon pointed away from him. "Sorry, General. I couldn't help myself. I know you have to say something along those lines just as you know what I'm about to say. I'm afraid I can't accept your generous offer, and given that you didn't come out and immediately shoot me, I imagine the Princess has ordered you to let her be taken. So, if you'd step aside, I swear that she won't be hurt while with us."

His scowl didn't diminish in the least, though he did step aside, allowing the pink-haired teen to ease out of the vehicle. Kallen was a little surprised as the girl smoothed out her dress before giving Kallen a little smile before bowing slightly. "Well, Zero certainly seems insistent that I accept his invitation. May I ask your name, miss? I am Euphemia li Britannia, though I prefer to go by Euphie."

Kallen clearly surprised both of them when she let the assault rifle hang of her shoulder while coming to attention and saluting the Princess. "Your Highness, I am Captain Kouzuki of the Black Knight's Zero Squadron. My orders are to bring you back with me, and to keep you safe at any cost."

Euphie blinked at that but nodded, ignoring General Darlton's unhappy expression. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to come along with you then, Captain Kouzuki." Kallen found herself a little jealous of the Princess' grace, and apparent calm even with being taken prisoner. Kallen held a hand out for Euphemia, who took it gently even as Kallen slowly backed away towards the Guren while the Lancelot slid between them and the car. When she couldn't see the General anymore, she turned, quickly pulling the Princess along towards her Knightmare.

When she reached the winch, she pulled Euphemia tightly against her. "Sorry for the rough treatment, Euphie, but we're in a little bit of a hurry." Euphemia simply shook her head, wincing slightly as Kallen's arm squeezed her. The Princess hopped into the cockpit ahead of Kallen, pulling her dress up to let her sit somewhat comfortably on the seat as Kallen slid in behind her.

After some bumping, and more than a little uncomfortable pressing that turned Euphemia's cheeks a little red as the hatch closed.

"I'm going to need you to sit still until we're back aboard our submarine, Euphie. After that I promise this whole ordeal will be more comfortable." Giving a little smile, she keyed the radio. "Alright, Zero, I've got the Princess. We're on our way to the dock."

"Good work, Kallen. The Jiyu is five minutes from docking, keep Euphemia safe. And Euphemia, please don't trouble the Captain. She will knock you out if she has to."

Kallen had to work to keep from laughing as the Princess twitched at that. She reached around Euphemia to take hold of the controls sending the Guren screeching down the road towards the dock, followed quickly by the Lancelot, chaff smoke trailing behind them. As they neared the pier, they were joined by Toudou's group, who formed a protective ring around the Guren as they pressed down the pier, waiting for the Jiyu to surface.

They didn't have long to wait. The conning tower broke the surface followed quickly by the deck, which opened before all of the water had drained off of it. Kallen took the lead, hopping into the open hangar, followed quickly by Suzaku in his Lancelot. She was already making her way to the Guren's berth, and cracked the hatch, so she could lean back and stop crushing Euphemia. She dismounted, stepping onto the walkway before offering a hand to Euphemia.

"Thank you." Euphemia gave her a smile as the deck shuddered beneath their feet as Toudou's Gekka dropped in followed quickly by the others. Kallen sighed with relief, another mission done. She held Euphemia's hand as they stepped over to the ladder down to the deck.

And then the world erupted.

Euphemia let out a surprised cry as she fell forward. Kallen's eyes were drawn to the Gekka that had been about to land in the hangar, but now tumbled into it, slashed in two by a blood red and black beam. The entire submarine rocked, and Euphemia was teetering, about to fall from the four meeter high catwalk. _Oh shit. Lelou's going to kill me if something happens to her!_

She leapt forward, skirting around Euphemia just before the princess fell. Wrapping her arms around the smaller teen. There was screaming as they fell, but Kallen didn't know if it was her or Euphemia, though it was probably both of them. The pain was something special, the steel deck and the impact actually activated the air padding in her suit, but it certainly didn't help enough, especially when Euphemia managed to land with an elbow in her stomach.

Kallen groaned in pain between gasping breaths as she tried to get her breath back. She turned her head at the wrecked Gekka, but what she saw horrified her. The coolant was leaking from it's Yggdrasil drive. "Oh shit. Euphie! We've got to go!"

The Captain hadn't waited for the Princess to respond though. She was already scrambling up, hauling Euphemia to her feet, pushing the girl towards the hangar exit. And then she heard the arcing electricity. She turned back, seeing all the signs that had become familiar in weeks past, a wreck that was about to explode. She didn't think. She tackled the girl, covering the princess with her own body.

And then the world exploded yet again.


	18. Chapter 18

_**Sunday, November 11, 2017 a.t.b. 0918 hrs** _

Cries of astonishment resounded on the Jiyu's bridge. The display was filled with an impossibility. Lelou frowned behind Zero's mask. _No, not an impossibility. The float system Lloyd and Cecile came up with is perfectly capable of_ that.

'That' being the 200 meter orange and white airship that was hovering over the island. The same vessel that had just fired a beam of nearly impossible power that had bisected Captain Senba's Gekka as he was hopping into the hangar, and vaporized the top half of Tamaki's sending the legs clanging into the submarine's hull before the splashed into the sea.

"Close the hangar bay! Get us underway and submerged Ohgi. Yoshitaka, lay into that thing with every anti-air missile we've got! Aim for the float system generators."

Orders were acknowledged, and a stream of missiles erupted from forward launch bays as the hangar doors finally shut. They had no effect on the airship, stopped short by the blaze luminous shielding that flared brilliantly with each bursting warhead.

The airship turned, keeping the Jiyu lined up as the charging Hadron cannons flashed from the open hatch. And then the beams came, staggered slightly, the first flashing the sea to steam just two meters away from the hull, the sudden void of sea water rocking the submarine heavily as it was filled. The second seared a trail over the submarine's prow, but fortunately caused no real damage as it did not remain focused on a single spot with the ship's motions. "Get us underwater, Ohgi. I don't want that beam to hit us again."

"You got it, Zero. We're diving now." He glanced over towards Rakshata. "They won't be able to detect us with your gefjun disturber, right?"

The Indian scientist nodded as she tapped away at a console. "Yes, and it's running fine. Once we're underwater and out of direct line of sight we'll just be a hole in the ocean." She paused, blinking as she looked at a report coming in. "Zero, report from Suzaku, he's just pulled Kallen and the Princess out of the hangar and is taking them to the med bay."

The report made her freeze. She had felt the blast of Senba's drive igniting within the hangar. "Take over here, Ohgi. I'm going to go check on Kallen and Euphemia."

He nodded at the order, not as flustered as he would have been having been left in command during a situation like this only a few weeks ago. Lelou calmly walked off the bridge, only breaking into a run when she was safely out of sight. More than a few Black Knights stared as their leader charged down towards the med bay, but none of them stopped her. What did worry her was the pained scream she heard coming from the med bay, as well as the bloodstains that led the way into the bay.

Hurrying in, she looked around, seeing the medics working to hold Kallen face down on a bed along with Suzaku. Why was readily apparent on closer inspection. Lelou saw the tear in Kallen's suit at her shoulder with blood slowly dripping out of it, and the pliers with a fragment of grey metal. Lelou could see another tear along one of the red-head's calves, though it appeared to have just damaged the suit. "Fuck that hurts! Goddamn medic my ass, you're a damn mechanic take those pliers and get back to the hangar bay and work on your unfeeling machines damnit!"

Lelou kept looking and saw Euphemia wincing at Kallen's shouted obscenity. She was standing on her own though, seeming little worse for wear aside from a rather spectacular bruise that was forming on her cheek. Content to leave her there for the moment, she walked over to Kallen.

"I imagine by your ability to yell quite that loud that you're going to be fine?"

Turning her head to look up at Zero from the bed, she nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Just the shoulder, medics say I'll be up and running in a week, and piloting in two as long as I go easy on it until then. Sorry, had to get a little rough with the Princess in the hangar, and I imagine you want to go talk to her. So go on ahead and do it, I'll be here for the time being anyways."

Smiling behind the mask, Lelou nods, placing a hand gently on Kallen's good shoulder. "Thank you, Kallen, good work."

She turned to Euphemia with a little bow. "Your Highness, welcome aboard the Black Knight's mobile headquarters, the Jiyu. Let's head to my cabin so we can speak as we need to, and stay out of the medics' way. You too, Suzaku."

Euphie blinked as she finally focused on Zero. "O-of course. Lead the way."

As they walked to her cabin, Lelou's mind was in overdrive. _Perhaps now is the time to let Diethard do that big reveal program that he's been working on 'secretly.' With Euphie in hand, we'll be able to get Cornelia to agree to practically anything. Evacuation of all Britannian forces would be a start. And knowing her she'd agree to it on the principle that the moment Euphie was safe, she'd simply invade and retake Japan._

_Of course, she also doesn't know the numbers that the Black Knights have managed to build, or the factories that are pumping out tens of Gekkas on a daily basis. Or how many we've managed to stockpile. Another week or so and we'll be running out of qualified pilots for them._

_C.C. is nearly ready to move in the Federation as well. The Eunuchs promise much in regard to Japan, but even if they aren't lying as I feel they are, the people are more than justified in wanting them removed. Yes, removing them is the only real option. So the true question is, will Britannia be distracted enough to not be able to mount an invasion until we've solidified our hold in Japan and the Federation?_

Suzaku had closed the door to the cabin behind them, and Euphie had sat down upon the bed as Lelou pulled the cape off, hanging it up before removing the mask as well.

"It's been a while, Euphie." She turned with a smile as Euphemia's expression turned from one of shock, to pure joy.

The princess jumped up from the bed, wrapping her arms around her older sister, squealing in a most undignified manner. "I knew you weren't dead! You always were too smart to have died! And if you're alive, that means Nunna is too!"

Lelou patted her little sister on the head with a little smile sneaking onto her lips, but her bitter tone couldn't be hidden. "Yes, we lived, somehow."

Euphemia heard it, and understood immediately that the woman she was hugging was no longer completely the older sister that she once knew. "And now you're Zero. Why? Is it for revenge against father?"

That drew a raised eyebrow from Lelou as Euphie released her, and backed away to sit back down on the bed. "I won't pretend that revenge didn't get me started down this road. It did, but in travelling this path I've learned that there is something more important than revenge. I won't expect you to agree with me, or even understand why I'm doing this. In fact, I'd be astonished if you could."

"Is that why you killed big brother Clovis, because he could not understand you?"

 _I'll be... She's grown up a lot since she last knew me._ "Yes, and it's why I'll be delivering a similar fate to Cornelia should the opportunity ever arise." At the look of horror that crossed her little sister's face, she raised a hand to halt the girl's exclamation. "I am sorry, Euphie. I may love her still, she may be my sister who looked out for me when I was younger, but I cannot forgive what she's done. She committed the same crime that Clovis did. She demolished an entire community, killed countless innocents all to kill a few terrorists. All to try and draw me into the open so that she could kill me."

Euphemia tried to speak again, but Lelou's voice just rolled right over hers. "I didn't have the power to save those people. Their blood is on my hands just as surely as it is on Cornelia's. Make no mistake, Euphie. Britannia, our Father, most of my family are my enemy. I will not hesitate to do what I have to in order to free the people. That is why I took you. I would have preferred to have done nothing to you, but I need leverage over Cornelia. You, Euphie, are the only thing that could break Cornelia's hold on Japan."

The Princess' eyes widened as Lelou spoke. _The poor girl probably things I wouldn't hesitate to slit her throat if Cornelia doesn't agree to my demands._

"Why? Why do things have to be this way, Lelou?" She seemed on the verge of tears, proving that she wasn't suited to be a member of the Imperial family. _She doesn't have the ruthlessness, the callous nature for her position._

"Things are this way because this entire world is wrong, Euphie. I aim to destroy Britannia and what it stands for, to build this world anew into one where gentle souls like you and Nunnally never have to be sad over things like these. Now, I want to know who you were meeting with, and why they had access to that airship."

"Big brother Schneizel, there's something 'interesting' on one of the islands around here that he was planning on investigating during the break in talks with the European Union, I was going to be spending time with him on the Avalon, that airship."

 _Schneizel's talks with the EU have paused? That means... Now is definitely the time._ She gave Euphie a little smile before nodding towards Suzaku. "This is Captain Kururugi Suzaku, late of the Britannian Army. He'll be 'guarding' you during your stay with us, Euphie. You're welcome to wander freely as long as you're accompanied and stay out of the way. And don't give Suzaku any trouble, he's my... best friend. Now, I have some work to take care of. Be sure to stop by and visit Kallen and thank her for taking that bit of shrapnel for you."

She didn't wait for words from either of them as she swept out of the cabin, not grabbing the cape or her mask. She strode down the hallway, her hair billowing behind her as she stepped onto the bridge, ignoring the gasps of surprise from the crew who hadn't known what lay behind the mask. "Ohgi, Kallen's fine, just some shrapnel, she'll be back to piloting in two weeks or so according to the medics. What's the status of the Jiyu, and what are our losses?"

Ohgi sighed, running a hand through his hair as he glanced down at a display from the Captain's chair. "Minor damage to the hull, I wouldn't recommend going deeper than 500 meters until we get repairs done on our prow. The hangar's a mess from when Senba's Gekka blew, we've got damage to our repair systems there that will take a dock to fix, don't expect the Jiyu to function well as a carrier for at least two weeks once we get back to the mainland. Senba's dead, and Tamaki's unit was destroyed in the opening volley of that Hadron Cannon beam. We're presuming him dead as well, since we received no signal that he managed to eject."

She closed her eyes at that. Tamaki, annoying as he may have been at times, was the first of their casualties that she'd actually known. And it hurt. _Though I suppose that's a good sign. That I feel pain at the loss of people, I won't make sacrifices lightly._ When she opened her eyes, she saw Toudou stepping into the bridge, one eyebrow raised at her public lack of Zero's mask. She turned back to Ohgi.

"Their sacrifices won't be in vain. My sister has provided us some important information. We're close to freeing Japan, made all the better by the fact that the Prime Minister, dear brother Schneizel being aboard that airship has accelerated our plans. Send word to Colonel C.C., we're executing Cutworm. Set course for Shimoda, and someone give Captain Reid a call, and tell him to prepare to release Zero's unmasking. Once we're back on the mainland, we'll be contacting Cornelia to secure a general withdrawal of Britannian forces from Japan."

Toudou spoke next. "I'm certain you've thought it through already, Zero, but as soon as Cornelia has Euphemia safely tucked away, she'll simply invade and we'll have a bloodier repeat of the first invasion, albeit a better chance of inflicting losses on the Britannians with the defense being led by the Black Knights."

"True, sensei. Unless they cannot afford to expend troops on an invasion to a rebellious Area. I plan to spark a war between the European Union and the Empire, and will do so through revealing that the greatest ongoing conflict for the Empire is headed by nothing less than an Imperial princess, and I'll be taking a trip to Europe to plead our case before their Parliament. All of which will be aided by the pause in talks between them and Schneizel, who we were dealing with aboard that airship."

Toudou's brow furrowed as he digested her words. "You truly believe that you would be able to craft a war between the EU and the Empire? Aside from that issue, the plan is sound in theory."

"The Union and the Empire have been poised to fight for years, and I have... a method to make it happen."

He frowned. "And while they fight, you tear the Federation apart and create a new political body that would have the power to stand up against either of them."

"Provided the Colonel manages to carry out Cutworm successfully, yes."

He sighed at that. "You risk much with this gamble, but the reward is great. I do not like the thought of an all or nothing risk, but given our situation, all or nothing may be the only real option available to us. You've managed much, Lelou. I'll trust that you're not overestimating yourself on this. I'll follow your lead."

"Thank you, General. Now then, keep us as deep as you feel comfortable with, Ohgi. And let's take the crew off general quarters, let's get people rested before we have to deal with off loading with a damaged hangar." Looking around the deck, she saw the still shocked expressions, and she hadn't missed the shocked gasps when she'd referred to their enemies as her siblings. "Good work everyone. Stay the course and we'll have victory, for freedom, for Japan!"

She turned, leaving the bridge, but she heard the echo coming from the bridge crew, much louder than hers had been. "For Japan!"

Pulling out her phone, she dialed a number. The voice that answered was infinitely comforting for more than a few reasons. "Sayoko, plans have moved up. You know what to do, and keep her safe for me."

_**Sunday, November 11, 2017 a.t.b. 1122 hrs** _

Suzaku stood at the door, still in Lelou's cabin with Euphemia. He frowned, a little worried about the girl. _Lelou didn't exactly go out of her way to take things easy on her. But given that Lelou captured her specifically to be a hostage, she probably thinks it would be better if Euphemia hated her._

"She's changed." The quiet words brought him out of his thoughts.

"Lelou, Your Highness?" He asked, receiving a nod in reply. "Yes and no. She's doing what she feels she has to in order to change the world, to save people suffering from the excesses of their leaders."

"Is she really going about it the right way though? She's killed our older brother, one of them that she actually got along with, and she wants to kill big sister Cornelia as well."

He remained silent a moment. _She's naive. She doesn't have enough experience in the world._ "Your Highness, we are all products of our environment. Lelou was thrown into a hostile one with a crippled little sister to care for. To my shame, I added to her troubles for some time. She overcame it all though. She survived through a bloody invasion, and the bloodier aftermath. All while looking out for Nunnally. She has seen all levels of society, from the Palaces in Pendragon, to the darkest slums of Japan. Between her experiences with your family, and the time that she spent in Japan, she's decided which side to fight for. Clovis and Cornelia committed an awful sin in her eyes when they attempted, and succeeded in far too many cases, to kill those that Lelou fights for."

Euphemia gave him a sad smile. "Cornelia is my sister, Captain. As is Lelou. There's nothing more painful that I can think of than having them fighting each other, whatever the reason." She sighed before continuing. "It's pretty easy to see why she likes you though. You must be a great pillar of support for her, as quick as you are to come to her defense."

 _How does she know that?_ She laughed at his flustered expression. "Captain, it's pretty obvious that my sister has feelings for you. At least if you know her. Her eyes don't lie. Even big brother Schneizel said that her face was completely unreadable, but her eyes give away much. He once told me that was the only reason he was able to continue beating her in chess after she mastered it."

He blushed, choosing to remain silent, which drew a giggle from Euphemia. She stood looking at him. "Would you mind if we go to the medical bay? I'd like to thank Captain Kouzuki for protecting me."

Suzaku nodded, opening the door for her before they made their way there, finding Kallen dressed in her Black Knight's uniform, her left arm in a sling, and the bandages over her shoulder causing a little bulge beneath her jacket. Euphemia approached, thanking her. Kallen simply waved off her thanks as unnecessary, though melancholy shadows lurked in her eyes. "What is it, Kallen?"

"Major Senba was killed in the hangar when his drive exploded, and Tamaki's dead, never even had the chance to jump off the dock. Zero says we're likely to have Japan free by the end of the year in return though. It's not that I'm not happy about that, but... Well, Tamaki being gone just doesn't seem possible."

"We've gotten off fairly easy considering what we're up against. We all know what we're risking here, but I think we all also know that it's worth fighting, and even dying for."

That drew a determined nod from Kallen. "Yeah, you're right." She looked to Euphemia who seemed a little uncomfortable with the conversation. "Why don't we give you a tour, Euphie? I could use a good walk. Now, let's get out of here before that crazy mechanic with delusions of being a doctor comes back to put me back into bed."

_**Monday, November 12, 2017 a.t.b. 0612 hrs: Luoyang Slums, Chinese Federation** _

C.C. frowned as she looked from the message to the map of the Federation pinned on the wall. "Oi, Sugiyama, we've got orders from Zero. She needs us to kick off our little revolution as soon as possible. The 'within the week' type of soon. There's been developments in Japan, we've captured the sub-Viceroy and we're about to commence negotiations with Cornelia to freeJapan in return for her. Think we can manage it?" She paused for a moment and added on. "It seems like Tamaki and Senba were killed during the operation though."

Sugiyama's expression darkened at the news of his friend's death, but he quickly shook it off. Such things had happened even before they'd become the Black Knights. "India is as good as ours if we go now, Nepal, Bhutan, most of the southeast, aside from the Britannian Concession in Cambodia, Mongolia will be rough, but we're likely to win if fighting in China can draw forces away from there. China's an issue though. With Li Xingke's splinter faction in the Federaion's military, we've got a lot of firepower to play with, but the pilots available are practically all JLF or the few Black Knights along with us. That won't sit well with some of the resistance groups we're trying to organize."

She snorted at that. "I'm not really surprised, given the history of this region. They want independence, and certainly don't want to be indebted to others for getting it. We don't have much of a choice though. Our forces are the only ones trained to handle our style of Knightmares with a level of proficiency that I'd be comfortable giving them access to one." She paused in thought. "Well, the JLF, us, and the Indian forces." She leaned back, frowning slightly as she twirled her hair around a finger.

"Well, what do you want to do, Colonel? If Zero needs it done so soon, we must have a rather limited window for whatever opportunity she's sighted."

C.C.'s frown deepened at that. "Yeah, which means that we'll have to go about this a different way. We'll have the uprisings in the Militarized Zones as planned, and we'll kick them off here in China as well, but we're going to occupy the Vermillion Forbidden City before we move on to support the revolution, rather than letting them be the ones to march on Luoyang."

"Perhaps we could alleviate some of the issue with putting Xingke in command of the forces occupying Luoyang? Giving him a leadership position within the revolutionary forces could help reduce any... animosity from foreigners occupying the capital." Sugiyama walked over to the map, arms behind his neck as he stared thoughtfully at it. "Of course, it's not as if we need to be successful everywhere. We need India. And we've got it even if we launch now. If it takes us a while to bring China under control... Well, that doesn't really matter. We'll have the forces to manage it especially with friendly governments installed everywhere else."

The self-proclaimed witch smirked at him. "Pragmatic, pretty cold hearted too. I like it." He didn't seem particularly pleased with the style of praise, not that she cared. "Alright, start passing word to the various groups, I'll go find Xingke and let him know what we're do-"

She glanced lazily over her shoulder as the door crashed open, revealing Xingke and his second in command. _What was her name again?_ She pushed the thought away as the Chinese officer turned on the television. "Your leader seems to be doing something crazier than normal."

C.C. spun the chair to face the TV as Xingke stepped aside, revealing the news anchor disappearing as they cut to another feed. Zero standing at the head of an empty conference table, a black flag bearing the symbol that was stretched over her own chest in her uniform. _I wonder what she's doing... I really do wish that she hadn't sent me out into the middle of nowhere so readily._

_"Oh! Someone's getting testy with my daughter..."_

_Not now, Marianne. I have no time for your distractions, especially with you being of so little use to me._ She didn't bother waiting for any sort of reply, simply shutting the presence out of her mind as she focused on the screen.

Zero began to speak, the voice that could send an entire nation into complete silence as citizens hung on every word. "I stand before you today to give my apology. For too long I have hidden behind this mask for regrettable reasons. I believe that I have now proven my desire to free Japan amply. Today, I have decided that it is no longer necessary to hide who I am."

She pulled the cape off, tossing it onto the table. "The Black Knights stand firm in our dedication to justice, and within our ranks, Japanese serve alongside Britannians. To deny a Britannian the opportunity to fight injustice simply for who they are is just as reprehensible as it is for the Empire to have stolen your sovereignty, your culture, even your name. No more do I fear that you would not accept me for being one of them! So many have proven so willing to fight with me and help me deal blow after blow to Britannian forces, before such courage I can no longer hide behind my mask."

The room was deathly silent as they watched in awe of the performance. Even with C.C. and Sugiyama knowing exactly who was behind the mask, they couldn't help but be enthralled by Lelou's performance.

Lelou placed her right hand over her heart as her left went to the mask, pulling it away before placing it down on the table atop her cape. Xingke's eyes widened as he stared at what was obviously the face of a woman, the words no longer sent through a modulator ringing clearly, just as captivating as the old voice had been, if in another way.

"Some of you may recognize me, but for those of you who don't," she broke off, giving a little bow to the camera. "My name is Lelou Lamperouge, or so I like to say after renouncing my original name along with my claim to the Britannian Throne. I am the former Sixth Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lelou vi Britannia."

Another pause, several seconds as violet eyes stared into the lens of the camera, as if she were able to see the masses behind it. "I'm sure that some will question the wisdom of following a former princess of your foe, but I would only reply with two things. Many among the Black Knights knew of my identity beforehand, and look at what we accomplished. Second is that actions speak far louder than words. It was my hand that ended Clovis, it was I who gave my brother the death he deserved for slaughtering innocents. And if that isn't enough for you, just give me some more time. I will give you the free Japan that you have dreamed of."

"I will free Japan. Her flag will once again fly proudly, and I will not interfere with her will once I have returned her to her people."

Her eyes narrowed as she took on a rather stern expression. "And to my sister, Cornelia. You have done the same crime that I killed Clovis for. You may make amends for your actions by returning this land into the hands of its rightful owners, its people. I'll be speaking with you shortly."

Lelou's image disappeared, replaced by an image of the Black Knight's emblem before the feed returned to the news anchor.

Xingke's aide turned quickly to the two Black Knights. "You would follow a Britannian Princess? I'm no longer certain that we can rely upon you for aid in our revolution."

C.C. rolled her eyes as Xingke reprimanded her and more politely requested an explanation. "What can I explain? So she was born a princess. She was abandoned by her father so she did what she could and renounced her claim while biding her time until she could become Zero. Lelou said it herself, don't her actions speak louder than what she is?"

He gave a small smile at that. "We shall see. Your princess will have to pull off a few more miracles quickly if she wants to avoid backlash for this little revelation."

"I think she'll surprise you, Li Xingke. She has a bit of a track record of managing that with me anyways."


	19. Chapter 19

_**Saturday November 17, 2017 a.t.b. 0930 hrs, First Skyfleet Flagship, HMS Avalon, Tokyo Settlement** _

Schneizel el Britannia blinked, turning his head to raise an eyebrow at Kanon. "Forgive me, Kanon. What did you say?"

The Earl laughed quietly. "You seem to be rather deep in thought." He moved closer, peering at the screen that Schneizel had been staring at for the past five minutes. Maldini raised an eyebrow as he saw a still-shot of Lelou vi Britannia staring into the camera, Zero's mask atop the cape on the table before her, filling one half of the screen. The other, he saw a younger version wearing a red dress with plenty of ruffles and lace having turned her head towards the camera as if she'd been turning to respond to her name being called. A likely possibility given her expression was soft, not the usual stern expression that she wore in the presence of cameras even before her mother's death.

The Second Prince gave a little smile as his assistant looked at the pictures. "She's come far since our days in Pendragon, hasn't she?"

Maldini frowned slightly at the admiring tone. "She may have, but she has also publicly declared herself our enemy, on top of having murdered a member of your family, holding another hostage while she hammers Cornelia into submitting to her demands." His own tone was disapproving.

 _Ah, Kanon. You understand me so well compared to most, yet when you don't you fail to do so spectacularly. She's kicked off the greatest game we've ever played, and managed to do so without me even noticing that it had begun. She's weeks ahead of me and taking advantage of every single weakness of my position._ "And should she not be admired for that? She's following our Social Darwinist ideals perfectly, even if not in the direction most of the royal family would consider taking it."

"She's set the stage, Kanon. She's got Cornelia dancing to her tune, and you know as well as I that I cannot tell a confirmed Viceroy what they may or may not do with their Area. Only the Emperor can, and he has yet to respond to anything I've sent him about the situation. I know my sister, she'll give Lelou Japan. Lelou made sure of that when she killed Clovis. Look at her!" He pointed, admiration apparent in his eyes. "She's been thinking this through ever since her very first act! Who do we always send to deal with troublesome Areas? Cornelia. What better leverage could you gain over her than Euphie? None. I'm willing to bet that if we search hard enough, we'll find traces in Pendragon where Lelou was preparing to kidnap Euphie. The fact that she became the sub-Viceroy only made it easier for her to accomplish."

The Earl's frown deepened at that. "Be that as it may, once Cornelia gets Euphemia back, she will return to take back Japan with a vengeance."

Schneizel laughed, startling Maldini. "Kanon, I don't fault you for not understanding, I never spoke much of her when I thought she was dead. Lelou, she's one of the few people I see as a true equal. She's frighteningly capable, she made me work for victories when she was just a little girl. And now, she's playing against Cornelia. And all that I can do is advise Cornelia, who doesn't want to be advised. All that she wants is Euphie out of the hands of Lelou, who has proven herself capable of killing a sibling already." He paused, taking a breath before continuing.

"Lelou has likely taken that into account, and should have several plans to prevent that from happening. I have a few ideas of what she might be up to. The most likely being that she's trying to buy Japan a measure of protection from the EU with the Sakuradite supply that she'll have under her control when Cornelia caves. She won't have to worry about the Federation, you've read the same reports that I have about India having gone almost completely dark and the unrest present everywhere else. I'd put good money on her being behind that as well."

The Earl nodded at that. "I won't pretend that I know her anything like you seem to, but... I can't help but wonder if you might be overestimating her a bit. She's a seventeen year old girl, and she has the support of some very well connected and astute individuals. Is it not possible that she may be more of a figurehead, a moral blow against Britannia that says, 'Look how evil they are, even one of their own Princesses realizes it and has the courage to stand up against Britannian tyranny'?"

 _Lelou, a figurehead? Lelou being controlled from the shadows?_ Schneizel couldn't help it, he laughed. Loud, and hard enough to draw the bridge watchs' eyes. "Sorry, but the best way to imagine this particular seventeen year old girl would be imagining me in her position. You will still overestimate her at times, but never often, nor seriously enough to cause any harm."

"I... I see." The Earl remained quiet a moment, as it seemed to finally sink in. "This is going to be rough, isn't it?"

"Likely one as bad as the First Pacific War. We would be wise to take the lessons of that war into account. Japan, though small, was able to fend off the Royal Navy for three years, not to mention how many Marine divisions they decimated when we were island hopping. And that was with often incompetent leaders on their part. Lelou will have no such issue. She herself is more than competent, and she has Tohdoh along with her. Not to mention Katase, who gave us a fair bit of trouble during the Second Pacific War."

_I see what she's doing. And yet I can't get Cornelia to cooperate with me, And the Emperor is probably entertained by the show that Lelou is putting on. He won't let me interfere until he grows bored of this, if he even knows about this mess. Well played, little sister, well played. I'll give you this victory, but we shall see if you can handle the EU when we're competing over them._

_**1450 hrs BKS Jiyu, Suruga Bay** _

Lelou pulled her hair into a ponytail, quickly banding it before shaking it out as she looked in the mirror. _C.C. was right... I was jealous of her uniform._

Her outfit was similar to the one C.C. had designed, but with her own little adjustments to it. It had attached sleeves, but maintained the stiff collar around her neck which bore a gold insignia, the winged sword over a '0' as opposed to C.C's silver colonel's. The gold emblem stretching over her chest drew a little laugh from her. _At least I don't distort the emblem quite as much as C.C. does._

Lelou had also had the front 'tails' removed, and the rear turned into a single back half of a skirt that was trimmed in gold. She wore a pair of black shorts similar to Kallen's uniform preference beneath, and she'd done away with C.C.'s silly heeled boots, instead opting for shoes like she'd worn with her school uniform, and black thigh-high wool stockings to ward off the chill of November. Completing the image she was trying to present given who she was about to contact, she pulled the pistol she'd regularly carried hidden away in Zero's cloak and slipped it into a belt holster that rode low against her right hip.

"What do you think?" She asked as she turned to Kallen.

The red-head frowned slightly, inspecting the new Zero. "I'm still not sure why you didn't just go with a regular Black Knight uniform and style it up a bit. But it looks pretty good to me, and the pistol's a nice touch with the image you're trying to give Cornelia." She shrugged with her good shoulder. "I'd say it works, if a little impractical for the field, but then again, you managed fine wearing a more ridiculous outfit when we were rescuing General Tohdoh."

Lelou gave a little bit of a nervous laugh at that. _I may have managed, but I never want to get in a fire fight ever again._ "Yes, well, the plan is to not have to do that again. Especially considering the sort of fuss you guys raise when I try to go with you."

Kallen sighed at that, shaking her head. "You're too important to us as a leader to risk you on the front lines like that, and you know it as well as us, even if you like to throw around that phrase. You've proven you have the courage to fight side by side with us, so you don't need to keep doing it. You're the best hope for a free Japan, and you can only do that if you're still alive. I for one, will not let you put yourself in a position where you could die stupidly."

Lelou chuckled, raising her hands in surrender. "Fine, you win. Now, I think it's about time for me to contact Cornelia. Go find Suzaku and Euphie and tell them to head to the conference room if you would."

"Alright, Zero. I just can't believe that we might actually be able to manage this so soon, especially with C.C. making their move tonight." Kallen's expression was near joy.

 _An optimist, that one. Even after all this._ She gave a little wave as Kallen left her cabin, and then took another breath before she exited as well, heading for the conference room. Nodding to Diethard who was pinning up the Black Knight's flag on the bulkhead behind the head of the table. "Captain Reid, I trust everything is in order?"

He glanced back with that little smile of his that always made her want to shudder, though she made sure that none of the distaste touched her expression. He'd been rather vocal about his dissatisfaction with her changes to the script when she revealed herself to the world as Zero. _Not dramatic enough. Ugh. Never to be sufficiently damned newsies._

"Of course, Zero. There's another bit of intel that I've received that you might be interested in hearing, and it's likely to have some effect on your negotiations with the Viceroy. It appears that the Avalon has set course back to the Homeland, and that the Prime Minister is making his way to Paris to meet with the EU's Presidents."

"Schneizel... He always could read what I was doing two or three steps ahead, but he's too late now. The EU is seeing what I want them to see. Black Knights and JLF stirring up trouble in the Federation, and Black Knights roaming all but freely within Japan, how else could we have managed to capture a sub-Viceroy that happens to be a member of the royal family?"

She smiled again. "The Germans are eager to get their own back against the Empire, and the French will agree if they think the balance of power has tilted even a little in their direction. The rest of the Union will follow their lead. And the Black Knights will be the upsetting factor. A resistance group able to wrest away control of an Area from within the Empire? The Empire must have weakened since hostilities ceased between them and the EU. And best of all, the Chinese Federation will be in turmoil that could be bordering on all out civil war. They will be powerless to do anything as Japan slips into independence, and will be freely able to distribute Sakuradite as it sees fit. Which would turn us into a key ally as war between the EU and Empire begins to run down stockpiles. Additionally, Vladivostok is plenty close for the Black Knights and their Pacific Fleet to be able to protect any shipments coming from Japan."

Diethard simply shook his head with a bemused expression. "Never thinking only in the present, are you?" At her shake of 'no' he chuckled. "Well, either way, I'm ready to place the call to the Viceroy if you are."

She nodded, squaring her shoulders as she looked to the display Diethard had put on the table in front of her. It flashed to life as the call connected showing a familiar face, the maroon uniform with gold trim a throwback to the Empire's earlier military uniforms, sitting behind a desk, not looking at his communicator. "Guilford," came a rather dismissive greeting.

"Sir Guilford, It's been quite a while. Might I ask what you're doing at my sister's desk? I was expecting to have her answer." _Has Euphie being in my hands for a few days truly troubled you to the point that you're leaving your duties to your Knight of Honor, Cornelia? You're proving weaker than I thought. This must have been why Schneizel never thought highly of you when I was younger. You're strong and smart, but far too vulnerable with your weakness. You're soft, dear sister._

Guilford's head whipped away from the document, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses as the face registered, along with the symbol of the terrorists that had caused his Princess such pain. "You." His anger wasn't hidden in the least. "What business do you have with the Princess, traitor? I hope for the sake of this land that it isn't to inform us that you have harmed Princess Euphemia."

Lelou gave a mocking smile, her tone teasing. "Now now, Sir Guilford, that's hardly a proper tone to be speaking to a princess with. I may have renounced my position, but until the Emperor acknowledges it, I still technically am the Sixth Princess of the Empire. I'll forgive you though, I prefer when people speak their mind to me." Her smile turned to a smirk as she could see him turning red with anger. "Euphie's just fine though, no thanks to Schneizel nearly getting her killed. One of my Black Knights put herself between Euphie and the explosion though. I'll bring both of them in later to prove that she's alright. For now though, I would like to speak with my sister. I'm willing to negotiate for Euphemia's safe release from my custody."

He looked as if he wanted to snarl at her, but simply nodded, putting her on hold, the screen turning black with the message 'On hold' showing in the middle. _He hasn't changed much either. Though I suppose that's not surprising given Cornelia's personality and how well he got along with her in the past._

Turning her head, she smiled at Suzaku as he entered, returning her smile with one of his own as he was followed by Euphie who was wearing a spare Black Knight uniform for a lack of other things to wear during her captivity.

"Guilford answered at the Viceroy's desk, but he's going to get Cornelia for us to negotiate with. Euphie, would you join me over here?" Euphemia complied, standing to her left looking rather uncomfortable at the prospect of being used against Cornelia. _Or perhaps just uncomfortable with the idea that Cornelia will think it's her fault she was captured._

A minute or two passed before the screen shifted, revealing Cornelia in a similar uniform to Guilford. Her expression was... interesting. Lelou could see both pure hate, and yet hints of the gentle older sister that had played with her when she was younger. Her tone was easier to read though, as she somehow managed to get the name out through clenched teeth. "Lelou."

 _Let's be a little less abrasive with her, she may deserve it, but the goal is to free Japan. Not antagonize the person that will be able to make it happen._ "Cornelia, before we begin, I assumed you'd like to speak to Euphie," She stepped aside, waving Euphemia into view.

The sub-viceroy gave a little wave. "H-hi, big sister." Lelou did not miss Cornelia taking in the sight of her little sister's clothes or noticing the bruise on her cheek.

"Lelou! You would allow your so-called Black Knights to harm Euphie and then seek to make demands of me?" The outburst caused Euphemia to twitch, taking a step back as Lelou stepped forwards raising her hands in a placating gesture.

"Calm down, Cornelia. She hasn't been mistreated. That was from one of my officers pushing her down and covering her from an explosion caused by Schneizel's interference. My captain was peppered with shrapnel that would have hit Euphie, and that's where she picked up the bruise." Cornelia's eyes narrowed as she glared at Lelou, wanting to believe it to be a lie even if Euphemia had nodded to Lelou's explanation.

"And now that we've got that out of the way, I'll present my offer. Take all Britannian military assets and make for Area 7 with a formal renunciation of your personal control over Japan. Do that and I'll consider us even and have Euphie delivered to you at Pearl Harbor."

"You know that the Emperor would never agree to let _Area 11_ go free. Why would you expect me, as his viceroy, to agree to something as preposterous as that?" Lelou sighed, the special emphasis that Cornelia placed on calling Japan by its area number was just another sign of her own approval of the Area/Numbers system.

"Why would I expect it, sister? Because you don't want me to put a bullet into Euphie's head and dump her into the ocean. Because the worst that would come of it would be you being recalled to the homeland and put under a rather comfortable house arrest. What do you lose by accepting my demands? Oh, sure, it's a blow to your pride, your dignity, your _honor._ " She couldn't help but give a little sneer at the last word. "We both know that Euphie is more important to you than any of those. I don't think you truly understand what I'm doing. I'm giving you the chance to end this peacefully. I'm willing to let you go after you murdered innocent men, women, and _children._ And I'm even willing to let you go without inflicting any true pain upon you. I promise you this, this is the one chance you have to end this with both your life, and Euphie's intact."

 _Don't be an idiot, Cornelia. Don't think for a moment that I won't do exactly what I've told you._ She took a deep breath, her eyes boring into Cornelia's. "You have two hours. I will call back on this line then, and if you still have not made your decision... I will show you that we're no longer playing a game in Aries." And then she looked past the camera, nodding to Diethard who cut the connection.

She walked over to the ship's intercom system, and dialed the bridge. "Alright, let's get moving just in case they were able to trace the source. We'll be contacting them again at 1700." She paused a moment, listening to the reply before giving her thanks and hanging up. She looked back, and didn't quite like the expressions she saw from Suzaku and Euphemia.

"Sit down you two. Don't look at me like I'm some sort of monster." They obeyed, and she took a seat next to Suzaku, sitting directly across from Euphemia. "Now then, Euphie. Even if Cornelia doesn't agree to my terms, you won't be harmed. We'll just be faking your death and I'm afraid you won't be able to return until I've finished freeing Japan. If she does agree, it will occur exactly as I said it would, we'll deliver you safe and sound to Pearl Harbor and go our separate ways."

Euphemia gave a little sigh of relief before she gave a weak smile. "I... I'm glad that you haven't changed completely, Lelou. I actually believed for a moment that you would kill me without a second thought."

Lelou gave a little smile before she looked over to Suzaku. "I'm not a terrorist, but if they're going to view me as one, the least I can do is capitalize on it and try to use it to my advantage to end this all as bloodlessly as possible."

Suzaku nodded, not looking entirely satisfied, but at least willing to accept what she was doing. _Well, it's not like I should be terribly surprised. He may be more open to pragmatism, but that doesn't mean he's embraced it. We've both changed recently in that regard. Not all that long ago I might actually have shot Euphie as a demonstration to Cornelia._

His words made her focus though. "Do you think that we'll have the capability to deal with her forces if she doesn't accept the offer?"

Lelou sighed at that. "I think that we will. That's the worst case scenario though, Cornelia will not react well to Euphemia's death. Which should give us the edge we need to forcibly remove her from Japan. It will be bloody though. And we'll have to pull forces from the Federation to help defend Japan if it does happen. That's the last thing that I want to happen, but if it does, it does."

He nodded, reaching over to place a hand on hers. She smiled, turning it beneath his to slip her fingers between his. She heard the little giggle from across the table. Euphemia's eyes were flicking between Lelou, Suzaku, and their hands on the table. Suzaku and Lelou both realized just what they were doing, but simply blushed red, not giving Euphemia the satisfaction of tearing their hands apart.

"Ah, I need to place a call to Paris while we wait. You two are free to go, I imagine this will be a rather boring call." They nodded and stood up to leave, Lelou fighting off a little sigh as Suzaku's hand released hers. She turned back to Diethard. "Alright, Captain, onto the next call. I'm not even going to ask how you got the desk number of the Union's High Representative." _Damned if I'm going to try to get the whole High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy out in my German._

The call connected, another gruff voice stating a simple name in greeting. "Adenauer."

"Guten morgen hohen Vertreters. Ich habe einen vorschlag für die Europäische Union." She managed to get out in without stumbling too much. _It's been too long since I've spoken German. My French is likely just as rusty. That's what you get for only speaking English, Japanese, and Mandarin for seven years._

The grizzled old German raised an eyebrow at who was calling him so early in the morning. He saved her the trouble of trying to continue in his native tongue, instead switching to fluent English for her benefit. "What can I do for you this morning, Your Highness? Or would you perfer to go by Zero, Miss Lamperouge, or some other style of address?"

Lelou smiled. "Zero is fine, after all I am acting as the leader of the Black Knights right now. I apologize both for the unannounced call, and my own lack of practice with German."

"Worry not, I am pleased to have every opportunity to speak English to keep in practice. Given the tenuous peace between the Union and the Britannian Empire, it is words that I must fling at your elder Brother, rather than panzer shells."

Lelou smirked at that. "It's interesting that you would mention Schneizel. I hear that he is on his way to Paris to speak with you."

The old man nodded, a somewhat sour expression on his face. "A capable man, your brother. Arrogant, but a terror to deal with at the negotiating table."

"What if I were to propose negotiating with me, rather than Schneizel?"

"I would be intrigued. As dealing with you strikes me as a more cheerful prospect. I imagine this has something to do with the trouble that you are stirring up in the Federation and Area 11?"

 _So they have been keeping an eye on me. Let's see how deep they've managed to dig._ "Yes, though soon it will be Japan once more. The Black Knights are on the verge of liberating Japan, one way or another. I hold no interest in political power within the reborn Japan, but I imagine that for some time, the Black Knights will be the main defenders of Japan."

He nodded. "Which will give you the ability to influence how the Sakuradite is eventually distributed, and the unrest you're encouraging and aiding in the Federation is to keep them from attempting a Chinese incarnation of the Second Pacific War."

"I'm glad that we understand each other, Your Excellency. Simply put, I would like to see an end to the ceasefire between the Union and the Empire. And not an end that involves a peace treaty. I beg your pardon for my bluntness in this, but I wish there to be no misunderstanding of where I stand."

The old man leaned back in his chair, looking at the teen who was attempting to upset the world in such a fashion. "You believe Cornelia will give up because you hold Euphemia?" He waved a hand quickly as her eyes narrowed. "Don't worry, we received that information from a Britannian Source. Your organization has proven... difficult to infiltrate."

Lelou gave a little smile at what she took to be a compliment, not that she was entirely certain the High Representative was being truthful. "I believe that my sister will give up Japan without a fight in return for Euphemia. And if she does not... I have plans that will remove her by force of arms."

"And your goal is to use the Union to prevent Cornelia from returning to take back Japan after you achieve independence."

"To be perfectly blunt, yes. My proposal is thus, should Japan return into the hands of its people, break the ceasefire. Be that through Cornelia leaving along with her forces, or through the Black Knights forcing them out. There's no risk to the Union. Should it appear that we will lose, you merely have to negotiate with Schneizel when he arrives. As for the benefit should you resume the war with Britannia, I'm prepared to suggest that the Union be awarded both its share of Sakuradite, as well as the share that would otherwise have gone to the Empire."

Adenauer's face was unreadable for a moment as he thought. "You ask quite a lot of the citizens of the Union in resuming war with a foe like the Empire. It is also true that you offer much in return. That much extra sakuradite would likely lead to a boost in standard of living, even during wartime."

"Not to mention the fact that unless I'm sorely mistaken, your population is fairly split on the idea of peace with the Empire. I doubt that it would be difficult to take some demand that Schneizel will no doubt eventually make and turn it into a rallying point for war."

"That's certainly a possibility. Why don't you give me a moment to get a hold of the Prime Minister and the Presidents of the Commission and Parliament, and we'll discuss this a little further."

_**1655 hrs** _

Lelou leaned back with a sigh as she finally ended the call with the three people in the Union that could agree to her terms and still manage to get it through Parliament and approval by the Commission. _It's funny, really. Sakuradite is both the bane and savior of Japan. It was what led to the Britannian invasion, and it's the economic hammer that we can wield to push even a superpower into doing what we want._

She looked at the clock and gave a little groan. "Alright Diethard, let's go ahead and give a call back to my sister."

Cornelia's image appeared mere moments after Diethard pressed the button. "Lelou." She growled out her words, and if looks could kill, Lelou had no doubt that she should be little more than a bloodstain on the flag behind her.

"Cornelia. I trust you've come to a decision?" Lelou put on a neutral expression, knowing that any sort of emotion that she showed would only serve to anger the Viceroy, and that pleasantries would be wasted upon her.

"I have, but know this... I will be returning for you. And you will regret ever setting yourself against the Empire, and even more so for having ever considered endangering Euphie."


	20. Chapter 20

_**Saturday November 17, 2017 a.t.b. 1700 hrs, BKS Jiyu Briefing Room** _

"You probably won't believe me when I say this, but I'm going to anyways Your Highness. If there were any possible way for me to have done this without involving Euphie. I would have done it."

Cornelia only gave a derisive snort in reply. "That said though, we do have some details to hammer out. I know that it will take some time for you to withdraw completely from Japan, so I'm willing to give you until January 15th. Should you require more time, it can be arranged. I trust you, or at least your sense of honor now that you've accepted my terms, but I'm sure that my officers will be keeping an eye on your withdrawal. They'll probably be a little unhappy with me if you try to delay any."

"That said though, I'm also planning to begin building a Japanese government during your withdrawal. I'm going to request a ceasefire during the withdrawal process. Black Knights will not engage in offensive actions, but we will respond if attacked."

"And Euphie will be killed if we're too slow at getting out. When we do meet your terms, how do I know I can trust you to release her and not attempt to extort more from me?" Cornelia was clearly unhappy, but at least she wasn't snarling anymore. _I know she's not stupid, but for some reason it's always a little surprising when she hits on something like that. I guess I've just been too used to seeing her as a gruff soldiering type without any interest in politics or what it means to rule with anything short of an iron fist._

"You can't. You'll simply have to take my word for it. My officers, at least some of them have suggested exactly that already, and I have told them in no uncertain terms that we will _not_ be disrupting Euphie's life any more than we already have. No matter my differences with you or the Empire, Euphie is still my little sister and not one that I have any sort of conflict with. And so, I will have her delivered to Area 7 by officers that I trust with my own life as soon as you've landed there. No later than 24 hours after you land, I will give Euphie back to you, safe and sound."

"I am going to add one stipulation to your withdrawal, all Britannian military forces are to be limited to the Settlements and their bases from here on, with the exception of all Sakuradite mines. There will be no sabotage of the mines or miners, and all Britannians are to be withdrawn from their vicinity to the settlements. No Britannian common civilians will be required to leave Japan during this transition, and the Black Knights will deal with any oppression directed towards those that remain. That said, the Nobility present shall likely be judged by the Japanese government and their assets nationalized if they were found harmful to Japan during its occupation. Any Nobility that attempt to leave before being judged shall automatically surrender all assets. And you will not interfere in any fashion as I set up a new government. I'm sure that there's plenty more to be hammered out, but I'd prefer to have your agreement to this deal now so that we may begin this process."

Cornelia was silent for a moment, glaring at her. "Fine. We have an agreement. You have my word that I will honor the terms, but you will regret doing this, traitor."

 _Empty threats, dear sister, empty threats._ She simply shrugged before nodding goodbye to her sister. "I'll be in touch, and I'll allow you to speak with Euphie next time.

_**Saturday November 17, 2017 a.t.b. 2304 hrs, Luoyang, Within the Vermillion Forbidden City's Western Wall** _

_She still doesn't seem terribly pleased that I'm coming along for this little outing._ C.C. chuckled at Zhou Xianglin's discomfort. It didn't bother her in the least that Xingke's aide had an issue when she showed up dressed for the occasion and announced her intention to represent the Black Knights in the assault on the Forbidden City.

C.C. had left Sugiyama back in their hideout, in charge of coordinating Black Knight assistance to the various rebellions that were set to kick off at 2300. She was wearing her usual outfit, but she'd taken advantage of developments Rakshata had made with materials when designing her piloting suits.

She'd eschewed her usual heeled boots for a pair of black combat boots, and her knees were hidden behind shiny black plastic knee pads. Her thighs were armored in the front with Kevlar. Her torso was clad front and back in the anti-ballistic material combined with heavy ceramic plates. Drapes of armoring covered most of her waist and hips as well as her shoulders, with more of the material wrapping around her forearms.

She looked much more like a Britannian foot soldier than she would normally have been comfortable with. _Better to look like this than try to explain why I'm not dead from that particular bullet hole..._ _Not to mention the shock factor of the appearance is quite entertaining._ The looks had been priceless amongst the Chinese Imperial Loyalists. Few of them wore any armor at all, much like their leader, and here was the green-haired Black Knight Colonel walking amongst them seeming more like a tank than a soldier given the Britannian assault rifle hanging off her back, and the twin pistols strapped to her armored hips. The straps of her armor were holding at least four visible grenades, two Britannian Fragmentation and two of the newer flashbangs. Every pouch carried a magazine or two for one of the weapons she carried, and completing the ensemble was a brand new helmet, styled similarly to those of the Britannian Army, without the visor and more protection at the neck.

Li Xingke with only his sword and a pistol hanging off his belt had given a small smirk at her appearance. "Tell me, Colonel, when you said that you would be representing the Black Knights in our assault, did you intend to double the firepower available to us with the addition of you alone? And I hope you know that I'm going to want you with the decoy team looking like that. Your presence will help with their survival rate if, admittedly, only because the guards will be doing their utmost to kill you in their stead."

Nodding, despite the unhappy look that Zhou Xianglin was shooting in her direction, C.C. accepted. "It's not as if you were going to let any foreigners near the Empress. I was actually going to just suggest that I lead the decoy team... I've been a little bored just sitting around playing administrator for Lelou recently. A bit of excitement is in order."

Xingke thought through her suggestion for a moment. "That will work, though I'll be sending Xianglin along with you. I'd rather not have to explain to the Black Knights how I lost one of their Colonels. You remember the plan, correct?"

The green-haired witch had nodded again. "Of course... I was there for every meeting. The decoy team sweeps in from the west, as flashy as possible, at 2310, we keep the Empress' Guard and the Eunuchs' Guards as busy as possible, generally by doing our best to actually breach the palace. 2315, your team pushes in from the north, secures the Empress and the Eunuchs, then we call for resistance to end, accept any surrenders, or crush them between us if they choose to continue fighting. I just hope you know that we're going to move hard and fast, I've got a twenty pound note that says we make it into the Palace before you."

"I'd rather not bet on it, but getting into the Palace before the Guards can set up a defensive position on the exterior will probably reduce casualties in your team. Do it if you can."

She smirked as she followed Xianlin up through the tunnel that was likely centuries old. A long forgotten postern that had apparently been stumbled upon entirely by chance by Xingke when he'd been a new recruit. Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel, a basement in an old storehouse that hadn't seen use in at least fifty years by the accumulated dirt and dust. The woman had only seemed to grow even a little more hostile towards C.C. when she'd been ordered to accompany the Black Knight. _Someone needs to get over their infatuation to focus on the benefits of my presence, along with the fact that I'm trying to prove that Lelou isn't about to betray you because she was a princess... And when did I start caring so much to help Lelou this much?_

" _Hmmm I wonder indeed. But! You're distracted enough for me to chat with you... So I'm not going to complain too much. I have to ask though... What's with the outfit? And what's with all of the Federation soldiers?"_

 _Must you bother me right now, Marianne? I'm a little busy._ She did one last check of her gear, pulling the bolt handle of the rifle to cock it, and then slung it over her shoulder before charging both of her pistols and returning them to her hips.

" _Well it's not like I have anyone else to do at the moment, I'm letting Anya listen to Bismark's briefing on the situation in Area 11. Lelou's certainly managing to be entertaining. Charles just got word that Cornelia surrendered Area 11 to the Black Knights in return for Euphemia. Oh! So that's what you're doing! You're their helping to create chaos in the Federation to allow the Black Knights to secure Japan!"_

 _No~. You got me. Time for me to give up now._ She thought back tonelessly. _Seriously though, Marianne. The only reason I'm bothering with this armor is so I don't have to explain how I got back up after getting shot. Quit distracting me or else I'll end up having lugged this armor and still end up getting shot._ She started to close her mind to Marianne's presence as she looked at her watch.

" _Wait! Just let me watch? It's been a while since I've seen you in action, I'll behave myself! Promise!"_

 _Fine. But if you don't I'm cutting you off immediately._ She didn't wait for a reply, not that one was given, as the Empress knew C.C.'s likely reaction to a reply at that point would have been to cut her off. C.C. looked around, seeing rather grim expressions present on the faces of 70 Federation Loyalists, or traitors, depending on if they were successful tonight or not. She headed to the storehouse's doors, where Xianglin stood, ready, almost impatient to go.

Giving her a nod, pointing to her own watch, C.C. gave a sharp whistle before pointing at the doors. The soldiers split evenly between her and Xianglin. They'd decided that two groups of 35, further split into five squads of seven was going to be the best option for their assault. C.C.'s platoon was going to approach on the main road, to draw as much attention as possible, hence the fact that more than a few of her troops carried RPGs along with their small arms. They were going to rush forward, and blow their way right through the Western Gate while Xianglin's platoon scaled the Palace walls hit the defenders and give C.C. cover.

_I suppose we should just be glad that they haven't stationed any Knightmares in the Forbidden City. No doubt they would have before long with all the unrest in the provinces, and the mutterings that have begun even here in the capital._

The doors opened, and C.C. gave two sharp whistles, followed by a shouted command in her nearly flawless Mandarin. "First Platoon! Charge!"

She was the first out the door, green hair billowing out behind her as she ran for the main road, followed closely by her first squad, who'd been told to stay with her and keep her safe. A resounding cry followed her order, as booted feet thudded onto the road. "For the Empress!"

She grinned as they approached the first of four bridges that they were going to have to cross. The guards on the bridge were stunned at the approach of such a large armed group. They didn't even have time to sound the alarm as C.C's rifle roared three time in quick succession, one guard falling into the water below as red blossomed on his elaborate uniform. The other was bringing up his weapon to fire back, but was cut down by several shots from the rest of First Squad.

Their speed managed to take them all the way past the fourth bridge before the alarm finally sounded, likely by a guard in the Palace itself rather than any of the ones at the bridge. They started taking fire, and quite a lot of it, as three of her troops went down with bullet wounds, at least one of them clearly dead, his brains splattered on the road. The rest of her platoon was down as well, taking cover any where possible as she yelled out for them to start launching the RPGs at the guards in the Palace walls. She turned to a man in first squad who was carrying a satchel charge. "Give me that and be ready to give me some cover fire."

The Sergeant nodded, handing over the bag of explosives. "Cover fire!" Bursts of automatic fire and more than a few rockets slammed into the wall where the defenders were hunkered down as she stood up shouting her order and running the twenty-five meters to the gate as she heard gunfire erupting from a block over. _Good, Xianglin's starting her assault, now I just have to-_

Her thought was cut off as two bullets stitched across stomach, forcing the breath from her as they shattered the ceramic plate and expended their energy in the strong fibers. She kept running though, not stopping until she slammed her shoulder into the wall, panting heavily trying to regain her breath. _It seems I owe Rakshata a thank you._

"Are you alright, Colonel?!" She heard the shout from the Sergeant who'd handed her the explosives.

Not bothering to answer, she released her rifle, letting it catch on the strap at her shoulder before pushing it to her back as she slid the satchel charge off her shoulder, darting around the corner before yanking the cord and slinging the heavy back at the gate. Her back was already turned running back to put the thick wall corner between her and the detonation.

She didn't have long to wait as the charge blew five seconds after she had gotten back around. She disappeared in a cloud of dust that was kicked up by the explosion, which her troops used as concealment as they rushed forward, pouring through the now open gate even as Xianglin's forces cleared the strongpoints on the wall of defenders.

The Sergeant urged his men on before stopping to check on C.C. "Are you alright, Colonel? The Commander would have my head if anything happened to you after he told me to keep you safe. Would you mind letting us do jobs like that from now on?"

She raised an eyebrow at the NCO's expression. She saw hints of anger, which she assumed were due to her reckless actions, as well as a newfound respect that hadn't been present when she'd first been introduced to her platoon. "I'm fine, Sergeant. My armor was designed by a rather brilliant scientist who made a piloting suit that can stand up to bullets. When you give her the opportunity to use the same materials for actual body armor..." She trailed off with a little grin. "Besides, I had to prove somehow that the Black Knights are on your side."

She looked at her watch, seeing the 2319 staring back at her. "Let's get moving into the Palace. I've got a bet going with your Commander that we'll beat his team to the Empress."

The Sergeant shook his head with an incredulous chuckle, jogging to keep up with her as they pushed their way towards the Palace. "I'll give you this if nothing else, Colonel. You aren't like most officers I've served under, only the Commander and Captain Zhou have ever involved themselves personally like you just did. If the rest of the Black Knights are anything like you, it's not surprising that they're giving the Empire such a hard time."

C.C. didn't answer immediately, bringing her rifle up to her shoulder before opening fire on the guards pouring out of the Palace, two of them going down before the rest of her troops and Xianglin's opened fire. "Sergeant, even Zero, Lelou, fairly regularly went out onto the field before the others convinced her that it was a stupid idea for a seventeen year old girl who's only an average pilot at best, but the greatest strategist and one of the best tacticians we have available, go out into the field when it's not necessary. She was crazy enough to infiltrate Prince Clovis' headquarters in the middle of a battle on her own, and then get back out alive after killing him. Trust me, I'm being quite tame for the examples Black Knights try to live up to."

He shook his head with a sigh. The action only managed to pull another chuckle from the Witch. She caught up with the lead elements of her platoon as they pushed towards the doors that guards were still pouring out of. She swept fire over the Palace entrance, covering the rebels as they rushed forward, until her rifle clicked empty. She reloaded quickly, before running forward to join her troops. They were almost in, but the fire coming from the guards seemed to thicken. "Keep your heads down, and don't look after I throw this!"

C.C. pulled out one of the new flashbangs, heaving it into the midst of the guards, most of whom turned towards it, trying to fling it back as if it were a regular fragmentation grenade. They weren't successful though, as pink light flared, lighting the area almost brighter than the sun would have along with a deafening bang that set her ears ringing even at a distance.

None of the guards fired when she poked her head up for a look. All of the guards were on the ground, most with their hands over their eyes as they groaned with pain at having been blinded by the grenade. Some of those who had been closer were even flat out unconscious, more than a few with trails of blood dripping from their ears. "Round them up! Take their weapons and get them tied up and then we'll head into the palace!"

Xianglin approached, giving the Colonel a more respectful look than she would have earlier in the day. "No need for that, Colonel. Listen carefully." C.C. blinked and listened, the sounds of firing within the Palace were audible and drawing closer, even as it slowed down to only a few last bangs before Li Xingke stepped out of the doorway, pistol slide locked back, and his sword dripping blood.

"Aw. I thought I was going to win that bet."

Xingke gave her a curious expression before he gave a little laugh. "Colonel, I wasn't even expecting your teams to make it up to the Palace doors. I'd hoped you'd have breached the inner walls by the time we finished, not make it here to greet me as we came to your rescue. You can consider this your victory, and while I don't have any twenty pound notes on me, I'll pay for dinner for you and the rest of the decoy team."

C.C. mulled that one over in her head for a moment. "That's fine. Anywhere in Luoyang do a good pizza?"

_**Sunday November 18, 2017 a.t.b. 1910 hrs Fuji Mine** _

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me so quickly, Lord Kirihara." Lelou bowed as the old man emerged from the shadows, cane tapping noisily in the cavernous room. Suzaku bowed as well.

"My dear girl, while meeting like this isn't terribly wise, you are the one most likely to free Japan. If you say it's urgent, and it's possible, I would meet with you on even shorter notice than this."

Lelou smiled as he closed to give her a quick hug, returning it as her smile widened. "Japan has returned. Cornelia agreed yesterday to withdraw her forces in return for me not killing Euphemia."

He pulled back, his eyes going wide as he looked down at her, clearly in disbelief before his mouth opened, his eyes crinkling as his face erupted into an enormous grin. "You... worked quicker than I expected. Just a little over a month ago you told me that you would free Japan. I believed you would, though I somewhat doubted that you would manage it without a year or two to work with."

She gave the old man a wry grin. "Well it's not as if waiting to free Japan would gain me anything, so why not remove Britannia before anyone expected it? And I'm sure you've been hearing about the... recent upswing in unrest in the Federation? You can blame that on me as well. But what you haven't heard is that a group of rebels, along with one of my Colonels has successfully captured the Empress and taken her from the Forbidden City. Government in the Federation should be changing, and shortly, especially with rebellions brewing in its other member nations. We can expect at least three months of non-interference from the Federation, even if the rebels lose."

"I'm also brokering a deal with the EU to see about breaking the ceasefire between them and the Empire, though we'll have to supply them with their share of Sakuradite as well as what would have gone to the Empire. I'm not going to trust them to remain our allies in a Post-Britannian world, but that's my plan for the Federation. We're splitting off at least India, and probably most of the South-East. We're going to try to build a new Federation, one in which Japan will be free, but able to defend itself along with its allies against aggression by anyone."

Kirihara's eyes narrowed as he pondered her words. He opened his mouth, about to speak, but turned his head back as cloth rustled behind him, another figure appearing from the shadows. Lelou raised an eyebrow as she looked askance at Kirihara when the figure turned out to be a young girl, in a rather elegant kimono. "Lelou, you've met before, but it was quite a long time ago. Allow me to introduce-"

Lelou waved him off, her hand coming up from the pistol at her hip. "No need, Lord Kirihara. We meet again, Sumeragi Kaguya. I trust that you will no longer mistake me for a demon of the forest?"

Kaguya's diplomatic mask cracked, a gurgle of laughter escaping her as she dashed over, arms wrapping around Lelou's waist, her face burying into Lelou's chest. "I'm sure that won't be a problem, Lelou-nee-sama. I was worried that you were dead, only to find that you were the one that I was pushing these old geezers to support to the best of their ability."

"I'm not _that_ easy to kill, Kaguya. You should know this based on the early interactions between your cousin and I." Lelou chuckled as she placed a hand on the shorter girl's head while hugging her with the other. "At any rate, just what are you doing here?"

She popped her head up to give Suzaku a grin when Lelou mentioned him. "Oh, this and that. I think you'd find it hard to make some of the same comments you did when we first met..."

Kirihara gave a quiet chuckle at that. "Lady Sumeragi Kaguya, the founder and leader of 'Kyoto.' She was the one that convinced the rest of us to work together and start funding and arming the resistance. She's the one you have to thank for the initial support given to the Black Knights. Most of us didn't trust you until I vouched for you as Zero, but Lady Sumeragi pushed us into providing you with some support anyways. Though I think it might have had at least a little to do with the fact that she seemed rather... smitten by Zero's charms."

Lelou looked down at Kaguya who was still clinging tightly to her, giving a little laugh and patting her head again at the girl's blush. "That was before we found out that Zero wasn't even a man!" She shot back with a sulking tone.

"Don't worry about it, Kaguya. And sorry to disappoint by Zero turning out to be me." _I've gone and crushed the poor girl's first love without even knowing it... That's pretty sadistic even with my previous track record before we got to know each other._

Kaguya simply shook her head before finally pulling away. "That's alright. Finding out that you were alive was good enough for me. I'm guessing you want to discuss the formation of a government for when Cornelia finally leaves?" She grinned quickly before Lelou could answer. "Before we do that though, we're going to sit down to some tea, and we're going to catch up. I think starting with the where you got the idea for Zero's outfit... and now this new one."

She blinked, legitimately curious about the questions even as Kaguya drug her out of the cavernous room into a tunnel entrance that had been hidden by the shadows. "What? I like the look of them."

Suzaku and Kirihara looked at each other and shook their heads at the two before following along. It wasn't long before silence returned to the empty room.

Or at least what should have been an empty room. There was a quiet click, and rustling as the recorder was switched off. And then another click, the quietest of whispers coursing through the air. Until it was silenced by the source being muffled by the head placed between them.

_I love you, Mao._


	21. Chapter 21

_**Monday December 3, 2017 a.t.b. 0650 hrs Black Knight Base: Saitama** _

Cecile was humming to herself as she crawled into what would be the cockpit of one of the scariest things she'd ever heard of. A trade between Rakshata and Lloyd. _I wonder just what Lelou had to offer to get Rakshata to allow Lloyd to touch the Guren... and for Lloyd to let her touch his Lancelot._

She shuddered involuntarily. What she and Lloyd were doing to the Guren was insanity. No pilot should be able to handle the performance that they were working into it with the modified, and yet in simulations, Captain Kouzuki had been able to push the operating system they'd developed into utilizing the machine at 92% efficiency. Shaking her head at her thoughts, she tugged on the wires she was running and plugged the runs in before bundling the wires and tucking them carefully away before replacing the HUD panel.

Pulling herself up, she looked around the hatch, nodding in approval as black-uniformed engineers installed the second generation float system. _The Empire may have used the system first, but with Rakshata, Lloyd, and I working on it for the Black Knights, we'll show them something unimaginable, even if we're still having trouble completing the Ikaruga, though with the chaos in India and the Federation beginning to die down, it should be finished soon, and then we'll be able to face off against the Avalon._

She glanced down at the monitoring station. _At least Lloyd is entertained and I don't have to watch over him._ The eccentric Earl was seated with his feet up on the desk, and the Guren's technical manual open in his lap as he devoured everything that Rakshata had done with it. And from the sounds of half-maniacal glee, he was also seeing where it could be improved and was making plans to increase the machine's specs beyond what their new collaborative OS and elements of the Lancelot's drive already had done.

"Major, you've been working on this for the past eight hours. You need to take a break. We're in a ceasefire right now anyways. Even Zero thinks that it will hold, we'll finish up installing the wings and the control runs. Go get some sleep."

Cecile blinked at the engineer that had spoken. "I suppose you're right. Make sure that Lloyd doesn't tear anything vital apart even so. I know he'll want to improve this monster even further, but _I_ want to keep her combat capable at a moment's notice just in case."

The engineer gulped at the unspoken implication of what the Major would do if Lloyd wasn't kept away from it. _I suppose it is a good thing that I have a... more imposing reputation than Lloyd. It means that I can actually leave him alone under the watch of others while I take care of things._

She slid down the ladder before waving the engineers goodbye and exiting the subway-station turned hangar. The 'base' if it could truly be considered that was light on amenities, but given that they would be relocating to facilities within the Settlement when the withdrawal was complete, she wasn't about to complain too much. Lelou had had running water and electricity restored at least. She sighed as she reached her 'quarters' really just a semi-private partition in the tunnels that had a cot and a hand held television.

She turned it on, deciding to watch the news before getting some sleep. It was always an interesting dichotomy that was shown. An agreement had been made between Lelou and the Viceroy that the Black Knights would be allowed to run news on the Britannian television network for the whole of Japan. Britannian stories would generally follow that worked to make the Black Knights out to be the vilest of terrorists and the temporary government they supported an abomination against the will of the people. _Now that's humor._

What did surprise her was Lelou appearing on the screen when she flipped to the news, alongside a young teen in a kimono. "-of Japan. I bid you good morning and hope that you are doing well as the day of Japan's rebirth draws ever closer. I have a few announcements to make before the news will be run."

"We must have a temporary government to be able to handle the current... situation. I am Zero, freedom fighter, not Zero, tyrant. I have no interest in political power, and so I have turned to those who supported the resistance before my appearance and asked them to form a temporary government, bound by the Constitution that was scrapped by Britannia. Allow me to introduce Sumeragi Kaguya, Prime Minister of Japan."

Lelou nodded to the short girl before backing away. The girl, no the Prime Minister gave a diplomatic smile before stepping forward. "Thank you, Zero. People of Japan, we are at a crossroads in history. We are the first Area to have ever thrown off the yoke of Imperial occupation. I know that there will be those among you who think that I am just some puppet set up by Zero so that she may control Japan without appearing to be a dictator. Nothing that I say will be able to convince some that feel that way otherwise. All that I can do is say that I have supported the resistance from the shadows for nearly four years now, and that the Black Knights were only able to free us with the assistance that 'Kyoto' provided."

"Zero has not forgotten who is truly responsible for our freedom, and that is you, the Japanese people. Your Government, Zero; those are merely expressions of your will. We are your servants. And so we will be drafting a new Constitution and, should it be approved in a referendum, holding free and open elections for the Government that will be detailed within it. For now, however, there are things that must be dealt with immediately. I must ensure that we are able to defend ourselves against any further aggression from Britannia. There is precious little time to rebuild the Japanese military, so we have decided to contract the Black Knights for our defense with the stipulation that the contract will be reevaluated upon the ratification of the new Constitution."

"Zero has agreed to these terms, and the Black Knights are already stationed around the country and will take up the task of defending this nation's people. We must also look to our immediate neighbors. The Chinese Federation is in turmoil as their government has clearly lost the consent of their people. Their Empress is in the hands of those loyal to her, while the High Eunuchs have been rounded up by their own guards in some cases. India has expressed its desire for independence from the Federation, and I intend to support them given that much of the support I was able to provide our resistance with was due to India's assistance."

"Information on how to contact the temporary government will follow, I wish you all a good day in the land once more known as Japan."

Cecile blinked. _That little girl is the new Prime Minister? Well, not that it really matters to me. My home is with the Black Knights, though from the sounds of it we're no longer a resistance group, but private military contractors. Mercenaries..._ She shrugged at that as she pulled off her uniform before flopping down onto her cot and pulling the blanket up over herself. _Honorable ones that fight for a cause rather than money with Lelou as our leader._

_Speaking of our leader... I need to see to it that Suzaku is still making progress with her..._

_**Monday December 3, 2017 a.t.b. 0705 hrs Fuji Mine, Temporary Government Facilities** _

"I'm not sure why you wanted me to be the Prime Minister, Kirihara's much better suited for the position. You know that as well as I, Lelou-nee-sama." Kaguya frowned as the cameras cut off before turning to look at the uniformed leader of Japan's contracted military.

"Because Kirihara wouldn't be accepted by the people, Kaguya. You and I both know how he was only acting as a turncoat to be able to salvage something after the former Prime Minister's death and the subsequent surrender, but the average person on the street doesn't. I'm wary of even having you in the position for the time being because you'll be seen as being easy to manipulate. A figurehead for my rule, if you will. You'll have to move decisively in this position, and I meant it when I said you were the Prime Minister, and everything that entails. You have the power to order me within the bounds of the current Constitution. What we need now is for you to get a new Constitution drafted and approved. Then we will be secure, or at least as close to it as one can be when pitted against the most powerful nation on the planet."

Kaguya nodded somberly at that. "I've already signed off on the first shipment of Sakuradite to Vladivostok, and we've gotten the trade agreements with the Union and India finalized. And I've spoken with Adenauer about the... arrangement that you had set up before Cornelia agreed to withdraw. They've managed to get it through Parliament, and the Commission seems almost bloodthirsty in their eagerness to approve of the notion as soon as it makes its way up their agenda." The 14 year old girl gave Lelou a little smile. "Japan is free... And we're going to make it to where it will remain free. Let me guess, you're going to want me to run for office when the constitution is approved?"

Lelou grinned. _She's astute enough for the position even if she's young. And Adenauer liked her, something about the oldest statesman and youngest Prime Minister in the history of the world working out details for the destruction of an Empire was entertaining for them I suppose._ "I'd hoped that you'd find it in you to do so, you know the eventual plan. And while I'm sure I could get another Prime Minister to agree to it eventually, it might take time and resources I cannot afford to waste. But that's another reason that I need you to hurry with the Constitution. We may only have weeks to stabilize Japan and build the United Federation of Nations around it. I've been speaking with the de-facto leader of the Chinese Resistance, Li Xingke, and he seems amenable to the idea provided that the Empress is preserved within China at the very least, or at least is allowed to make her own decisions on the direction that government within China takes."

"Other members of the Chinese Federation have already been asking me about a potential alliance with the Black Knights through our members that have been working with them, but from now on I'm going to direct inquiries to you. This United Federation of Nations is going to be yours. You thought of it and you will bring it into existence. I don't want to be seen anywhere near it other than as its eventual defender."

"Nee-sama... You know that conspiracy theorists are going to say that this is all your idea to build an empire of your own anyways, why would you be hands off in the creation of your own brainchild as long as you don't manipulate it in the end?"

"Because, my brother will recognize what I'm doing, but the longer it takes the rest of the Empire to realize what's happening, the better position we'll be in when it all goes up. Schneizel can make preparations all he likes, but if the people carrying out his orders don't truly view us as a threat until we're in position, the better we'll fare. Now then, I know you have a full schedule today, go do the politician thing. I think I am going to go visit my little sister so that she can deliver a very well earned scolding to me."

_**1330 hrs Ashford Academy Underground** _

Lelou winced. Clearly the reunion wasn't going quite as well as she'd hoped it would. _Though I suppose when your little sister finds out that you're an evil terrorist mastermind, some level of irritation should be expected._

For her part, Kallen was having trouble keeping herself from showing her amusement at the scene. On one side was their leader, who hadn't so much as hesitated when jumping into a prison cell block with bullets whizzing around them, hanging her head and wincing at the accusing finger from the tiny girl in the wheelchair. _I'll give Nunnally this, she wields guilt like a master._

Lelou had explained the situation to both her and Suzaku, who would be accompanying her on this little journey. She'd had Nunnally hidden away somewhere by their maid, Shinozaki Sayoko, who was also her bodyguard and apparently a member of the Black Knights. Kallen had just shrugged that off, she'd gotten pretty used to the fact that she knew remarkably little about what was happening around Lelou aside from the parts she actively participated in. And while it was a bit irritating at times, she understood the purpose operational security had been a pretty big thing even with Naoto. And the necessity had been amply proven with Tamaki around to muck things up.

 _Tamaki..._ She gave a quiet sigh, ignoring the sibling strife as she crossed her arms under her uniformed breasts. _We still haven't gotten the chance to have any sort of ceremony for him or for Senba. Toudou and his Holy Swords seem to be dealing with it alright, but they were with the JLF for years. They've had to deal with this more than us. And Tamaki... he seemed like the type that wouldn't be able to die... too stupid to die._

"Why Lelou? Why are you doing this? I'm not about to pretend that I like everything about the Empire, but was it so wrong to just enjoy the life we had? I don't care about anything other than being with you and our friends in Ashford!" Kallen watched as Lelou flinched again.

"There are things that everyone deserves, that same right to happiness, the ability to make their own decisions in life that we had. Nunnally, I'm not doing this because I want to, at least not solely because I want to. I'm doing this because someone has to. And this world has gone far enough without someone intervening."

"You're not! This is all about revenge! That's why you're fighting. Because you want revenge on the Empire for what they did to us! This is all for you, just a selfish wish for revenge!" Nunnally's shoulders were shaking as she gripped her chair. "Sayoko. I don't care if you are a member of my sister's Black Knights. Take me to my room. I want to be alone."

Sayoko's expression was unreadable as she looked to Lelou, who only nodded as her shoulders slumped. Suzaku stepped over as the door shut behind Sayoko, placing a hand on Lelou's shoulder before she threw her arms around him, trying to squeeze the life out of him from the looks of it. _And here's where I try to exit before this gets any more... interesting._

Kallen gave a little cough at the scene before speaking. "I'll just ah... leave you two alone to think. If you need me, I'll be going for a walk on campus... You're sure that Cornelia won't touch us while we're here?"

"You'll be fine, Cornelia knows what happens if the ceasefire is broken before all of her troops are safely shipped back to Area 7." The red-head nodded before quickly taking her leave, not terribly comfortable with Lelou's tone, or lack thereof.

A short elevator ride later and she found herself stepping into the library, the row fortunately empty. Ruben, as Lelou called the superintendant when she'd called to request use of the academy for her meeting, appeared to be more eccentric than his granddaughter had been during the short experience she'd had under the blonde's thumb in the student council. At least if the revelation of a secret meeting and coordination center under the Academy library.

Looking down at herself, she frowned. _Yeah, brilliant idea, Kallen. Let's take a walk around your old school wearing a uniform most of them probably view as one of a terrorist._ She sighed at that, exiting the library into the hallway. She promptly decided that going for a walk was a mistake.

She found herself face to face with the person she least wanted to run into. That never to be sufficiently feared blonde dervish. Her expression was one of displeasure, and while that wasn't entirely uncommon even when she'd been a student; it was almost frightening right now. "Kallen Stadtfeld."

Kallen gave a little smile as the President paused dramatically. Milly did have a sort of sadistic style you couldn't help but find amusing even when being on the receiving end. Her eyes roamed up and down Kallen's form, noting her left arm in its sling. "Your attendance had been... lacking recently. Even for your norm. Not to mention you're on campus out of uniform, and not in class."

She simply shook her head. "I'm sorry about that Milly, but I'm afraid there are a few things you have wrong about me. My name is not Kallen Stadtfeld. And I'm not terribly concerned with schooling at the moment. I am Captain Kouzuki Kallen, Commander of the Black Knight's Zero Squadron."

"Yes, well, all of that may be true, but that doesn't mean you aren't still the Kallen we knew." She smirked playfully. "You weren't all that great at hiding that you were more fit than that sick girl act would lead me to believe. Which makes me think that you aren't much of an actress, and so who you were with us is who you are, only a different name and context." She frowned, a little melancholy look on her face. "So where is she? She's got something coming if she thinks that she can come into my domain after disappearing and hiding Nunnally away where ever she managed to convince Sayoko to take the poor girl and just leave without getting a lecture in proper manners."

She cut Kallen off before she could answer. "On second thought, you don't have to answer that. I imagine you coming out of the library, and the lack of a fuss about a Black Knight wandering around the Academy means that Grandfather must have let Lelou have the underground for whatever reason."

 _Damn. I was hoping she didn't know about that._ "I won't say yes or no to that. I'd only recommend... not going to go see for yourself. Not yet anyways. Lelou might have had some troubles with a certain someone who is... unhappy with what Lelou has done recently. I'd recommend giving Lelou and Suzaku some time to come out on their own. And while it would hurt to have to forcibly stop one of the people I considered a friend in my time here, I will prevent you from disturbing them."

"Oooh! There's the fiery sort of loyalty you don't see every day. Fair enough, but she's going to show herself to her friends before I allow her off this campus. Evil mastermind and terrorist leader Zero or not, she's still Lelou. She owes us that much after all the worrying we had to do when you all disappeared. Now, to kill time, you're coming with me. There are more than a few people that have missed you as well, though we heard it was because you were sick, not because you'd vanished and joined up with a... What do you call the Black Knights anyways?"

Kallen just chuckled at that, following Milly down the hallway. "That's a question that I may not even know the answer to myself, Milly. I just know that the ideals that Lelou speaks of, as well as the fact that she has freed Japan from the Empire, are proof enough that I should be following her for now. But, if you must put a label to the Black Knights now... I suppose you could call us the new Japanese Military. The Prime Minister contracted us to defend Japan for the time being anyways."

"Huh... well, whatever. It's not often that we find a student so desperate to escape classes that they resort to joining an army... I take it that means that you aren't just carrying that for show?" Kallen followed the line from Milly's finger to her right hip, and the heavy pistol strapped into a holster.

She blushed, realizing that she was breaking one of the ultimate rules regarding weapons in the Academy. "Uh... Well, yes. And I apologize for bringing this, but... Plenty of people would like to see Lelou dead, and when she only brings Suzaku and I along as guards... Well, let's just say I'm not about to let my leader die because I wasn't properly prepared."

Milly gave a little smile and shook her head. "I'm not worried about you doing something stupid with that while you're here, I'm just worried about your well-being if you remain in the Black Knights, Kallen. I don't want to see any of my friends hurt is all."

 _Good to know that she doesn't hate me at least._ "Thank you, Milly. For the thought, and for placing me among your friends still. But... There are some things worth fighting for. And while I may have achieved my goal of seeing Japan free once again, the Empire won't allow that to stand for long without a strong enough deterrent to keep them from returning. And so, I fight with Lelou."

The President nodded, giving a little sigh before responding. "I won't tell you that you shouldn't do what you're doing, but promise me you'll be careful at least. Though I suppose if you're now part of an army it could be seen as a little less dangerous than being part of a resistance group. And when you throw in the fact that Lelou has gotten the EU to acknowledge Japan's status as a nation given a negotiated Britannian withdrawal..." She broke off with a shrug before continuing. "Well, I'm hopeful that you'll be able to stay mostly out of harms way from now on."

Kallen gave a wry smile at that, deciding to not reply directly to that. "What about you and the Academy? How are you taking the transition from being a Britannian Area back to Japan?"

"Well enough. It's not like the Ashfords are nobility anymore, so the stab at them doesn't affect me personally. We are losing a few students though, including Nina." She gave a smile, visibly ridding herself of her dismay at one of her personal servants leaving over something silly like a change in management. "But, that's life. We all go our separate ways at some point, some just sooner than others."

The red-head couldn't help but grin at the not-so-subtle stab at her last words. The next thing she knew, she was being pushed through a door that had just been opened. A teacher raised an eyebrow at the sudden interruption of class. Kallen blinked, recognizing the woman as one of her teachers. _Oh... This is just evil, Milly._

The class exploded with a flurry of noise, questions hurled first in normal conversational voices and then steadily growing louder to the point of barely being quieter than shouting. The teacher simply sighed as she looked to the Student Council President and shook her head slowly before sitting down and waiting for the clamor to die down.

"That's _enough!_ " Milly's command was perfect, some of the drill instructors that Suzaku had been training could have learned a thing or two from the blonde. Almost as one, the class went silent. "Now then, today we've got someone a little interesting, she managed a rather serious error on her application to Ashford Academy, so I've taken the liberty of fixing her records and now she's going to properly introduce herself so you can resume class as normal. I promise, she'll be here at least until the end of the day, so you'll have plenty of time to bombard her with questions, particularly those regarding her failure to wear the proper uniform." Milly chuckled before nodding to Kallen.

 _Sheesh. She probably means every word of that too, I'm still going to be enrolled here even when serving as a Black Knight? Well, I can manage it. It's not as if I was that far off from graduating anyways._ She walked over to the whiteboard and took out one of the markers, writing in romanji for the sake of the students that couldn't read kanji or katakana.

"While most of you know me as Kallen Stadtfeld, I have to apologize for having deceived you. My name, is Kouzuki Kallen, and as you can see... I have something of a part-time job. I am a Captain in the Black Knights as well as apparently still being a student despite my... questionable attendance status."

"I'm not sure how frequently I'll be able to attend for the time being, but I imagine that I'll be here as often as is physically possible. As for the other members of this class that have recently disappeared, I can't speak for them, but they might be making a return at some point as well."

She gave a little grin to the teacher. "I'll go ahead and take a seat so as to not interrupt class any further for now."

Milly chuckled as Kallen took her seat. "Now then, Ms. Kouzuki, I'm sure you can manage to remain in class until the day is out. I'll come to collect you once... Well, later. Enjoy!"

_**1500 hrs** _

_This walk... Might not have been the best idea I ever had._ She was feeling even more trapped now than she had when Clovis' troops were closing in on her position before Lelou managed to force the ceasefire out of him.

The whole class was crowding around her seat, questions flying left and right, most of them regarding her arm still being in a sling. Others asked why she was in the Black Knights, and a few were in regards to the pistol she was wearing. The eager eyes of some of the students that had a bit of a reputation as military nuts were enough for her to keep a hand on the strap holding the weapon in its holster while she looked for an avenue of escape.

Fortunately, an opportunity presented itself as Rivalz waded into the mass of students, shouting them down. "Alright! Give her some room, she'll stand at the front and answer some questions." He gave a quick jab to one that looked as if he was going to grab at her as she stepped through the aisle that had finally opened. She passed by him with a nod of thanks.

She cleared her throat as she glanced out at the class. "Okay... So, to answer some of the common questions, let's start with, 'Why are you a Black Knight?' As I explained earlier, my real name is Kouzuki Kallen, and I'm half-Japanese. I just happen to identify with that side of me a lot more than my Britannian side. With the oppression the Japanese have faced since the invasion, it's not hard to understand why I fought the Britannians as a member of a resistance organization before the rise of the Black Knights, and now as a member of the Black Knights."

"Did I know that Zero was Lelou? Not at the beginning, no. My first introduction to Zero was during the massacre at Shinjuku where she saved my life. Why is my arm in a sling? Being a Black Knight isn't the safest job around. I was wounded covering Princess Euphemia when one of our Knightmares was destroyed while capturing her." That drew some gasps from the class, along with a few more shouted questions which she mostly ignored.

"How did I get the rank of Captain in the Black Knights? I don't know. I'm a pilot, Lelou is the one that decided on our organizational structure and assigned ranks to members. And last but not least... Will I be answering any other questions... No, partly because I shouldn't have said even half of what I did, and partly because I don't like talking about it. You'll notice that I was pretty quiet about this before now."

And fortunately for her, Rivalz was there to step in and run interference as she left the classroom. She found herself face to face with Milly though, with Lelou and Suzaku following behind. "I see she found you as well."

Milly only grinned at Lelou's tone. "Yes, well, however well that uniform might serve to hide you amongst the company you've been keeping recently, I think you'll find that it doesn't do much good here. Now then, I expect you all will be returning to school as soon as things settle down with Japan becoming Japan again."

Kallen only smiled as Lelou blinked. She seemed to recover quickly though. _Probably because she's had to deal with Milly longer than I have._ "Probably. I imagine that Tokyo will remain the center of government, and probably serve as the Black Knight's headquarters for the time being. I won't promise that we'll be able to show up every day, but we should be able to show up often enough at least for us to be graduating on time."


	22. Chapter 22

_**Monday December 3, 2017 a.t.b.** _ _**1345 hrs Ashford Academy Underground** _

"I'll have to speak to her alone. She wasn't willing to say everything that had to be said with you, Kallen, and Sayoko around."

Suzaku blinked, looking down at the top of Lelou's head. "What do you mean? I've never seen her use a tone like that with you. Is it even possible for her to be angrier than that?" _If it is, it's no wonder that she's such a wreck right now. At least Kallen isn't here to watch her break down completely if she does._ He pulled her close, squeezing her gently as he felt her shoulders shaking.

"Nunnally... I think she's more angry that I killed Clovis. She's kind, she only thinks of him as she knew him. He was good to us when we were children. There was something of a competition between Nunnally, Euphemia, and I about who was going to marry him. I fear I may have done something permanent to our relationship. And it's entirely my fault. I worked to keep her from hearing about the evils that Clovis had done. And now no matter how I try to convince her that he had changed, it will be tainted with the thought that I'm just trying to justify what I did. Nor would she be completely wrong in thinking that. I would be trying to change her thinking for my benefit." Her voice was beginning to break, just barely holding back sobs threatening to break free.

 _She's hurting more than her thought process would lead one to believe. What the hell do I do now?_ "Lelou, don't doubt yourself. Don't let yourself be swayed, even if Nunnally doesn't come around right away. Just look at what you've managed, look at the Black Knights, you've managed to get people together and moving. You managed to bring even me around. Don't stray from the path you've chosen to walk, too many are depending on you. We need you, Lelou." He pulled back, one hand going to her chin and tilting her face up to look into her eyes. The tears glistening unshed in her eyes was too much for him. "I need you..."

She squeaked, her eyes going wide when he leaned in, pressing his lips to hers. He would have laughed at the obvious shock in her expression. He wasn't quite sure why he did it, but she certainly reacted better than he would have expected when he deepened the kiss. Her arms wrapped behind his neck, all but plastering herself against him as his hands slid along her back.

She tensed again when they finally broke the kiss to be able to breathe, as one of his hands slid out from behind her, moving up to her collar, unfastening the button before slowly pulling the zipper down. She didn't object, but only relaxed and joined in when he began sliding her tunic off, letting it fall to the floor with a whisper of fabric.

_What the hell are we doing?_

_What was I thinking? This is_ not _the sort of thing I need to deal with right now._ Lelou frowned as she quickly slipped her sports bra back on, putting everything back into place before bending down to pick up her tunic, zipping it up and fastening buttons before she finally turned to look at Suzaku. His own downcast expression almost drew a chuckle from her.

_The poor guy probably thinks he forced himself on me and that's why I haven't said anything. Oh, Kururugi, how wrong you are. I just can't afford an attachment like this. Not now, not until the job is done. If I even deserve any sort of happiness after all that I've done._

"Suzaku..." She couldn't help but give a little giggle when he winced as she finally spoke, the situation simply too awkward for any other reaction. "I'm not angry with you. I just... We can't. Not right now. There's too much at stake, even if we're on the way to reaching our goal. It's pretty obvious now what we both feel, but we can't become distracted from what's more important than you, than me, than us. I need to go speak with Nunnally, alone this time. Don't get lost. Rather, just go find Milly, tell her that I'm going to be busy for a little while."

He nodded, still not looking entirely happy about the whole situation. _To be expected I suppose. But it's not like I'm straight up calling what happened a mistake. Only... The wrong place and the wrong time._ She smiled, stepping over before giving him a gentle peck on the lips on her way to the elevator.

Remarkably, she made it to the student council building with only a few interruptions. And those were thankfully short if a little awkward, students greeting their vice-president who just happened to also be a princess and Zero. Their discomfort almost made her smile, but she managed to restrain herself, merely waving in reply before moving on.

She paused, looking up at the club house before making her way inside. Sayoko stood outside of Nunnally's room with a worried expression. It didn't improve upon seeing Lelou. "I'm sorry, Lelou-sama. She wouldn't say anything, so I've just left her alone for the time being."

Holding up a hand to stop Sayoko, she shook her head quickly. "Don't worry about it, I'm going to speak with her again alone. I don't think she was willing to say what she needed to say with others around." The maid nodded before taking her leave.

Closing her eyes, taking a deep breath before she opened the door without knocking, she heard it hiss closed behind her as she looked at Nunally, sitting in her chair next to the open window. "I remember telling you I wanted to be left alone."

She grimaced at the tone, but took a steadying breath, remaining standing. "I know. I'm not going to allow you that solitude until you've said everything you need to say. I know you were holding back. I realize that this isn't something that you and I can just move past, nor is it a situation where I can treat you like a little girl. You are your own person, I cannot make decisions for you anymore. So say what you've been thinking."

Nunally turned her head, her mouth twisting in a frown. "What was wrong with our life that led you to do... this?" She waved a delicate hand out the window. "You gave me your answer to that question. Fine. I accept that." She lowered her head, her hand falling to her chair as she rolled slowly towards Lelou.

Lelou knelt down placing a hand over Nunnally's when she was close, looking up into her little sister's eyes as she continued to speak. "You killed Clovis. You killed our brother, Lelou. One of the only ones that earned the title." Nunnally's tone was deadly serious as her hand shook beneath her older sister's. "You murdered him. Do you realize how that makes me feel? Do you have any idea what it's like to know that the sister you love, the sister who cared for you, the sister who told you little lies to keep you from the reality of knowing that she was carrying you through a field of corpses, the sister who is the only reason that you managed to survive after all that happened, turn from a savior into someone who kills the one brother that you have any fond memories of."

 _She's grown up. I've been smothering her for too long, and she's been letting me. I'm the one that upset our relationship, but this is more important than our relationship. I can't treat her like a child anymore._ "Clovis murdered dozens, perhaps hundreds of people on the day that I killed him. That day alone. He was a monster Nunnally. I did what I had to."

The slap stunned her. Lelou's eyes went wide. Her hand rose up to her cheek, holding gently over the pale skin that was stinging, turning ever so slightly red. "How dare you." Nunnally didn't raise her voice, even though she was visibly seething with anger. That frightened her. "How dare you," she repeated. "Don't justify your actions. You killed him, I want to know why. Whatever he may have done, you didn't only kill him for that reason. You wouldn't have done it if you didn't absolutely have to. At least I hope you wouldn't have, if you did... You are not my sister."

Lelou trembled as she looked up at her little sister. "I would not have been able to negotiate with him. Not with the tools I had available then or even now. I'm trying to accomplish this with a minimum of bloodshed, I would have been forced to kill many more if I hadn't gotten Cornelia sent here. And the only way that I could guarantee that she would come here, and have the power to make the concessions that I would need her to make when I took Euphemia, was to kill the Viceroy. To kill our brother."

Nunnally nodded, her expression unreadable. "That's what I want from you, Lelou. Honesty. I know that you won't lie to me, but I know that you'll lie by omission. Don't hide anything from me, ever again. I'm not certain if I'll ever truly be able to forgive you for what you've done. But know this. I will never forgive you, and I will no longer consider you my sister if you ever hide anything like this from me again. Now, leave me alone for a while, but send Sayoko for some tea."

"Alright, Nunnally. Until later, then." She placed a hand on Nunnally's knee for a moment before standing, leaving the room without another word. She gave Sayoko a little smile as a tear rolled down her cheek when she found the maid flanking the door. "She'd like some tea, and then I imagine that she needs some more time alone, but stay close. She's been hurt, she's lost faith in me, but don't change how you treat her. She'll come around eventually, I hope."

Sayoko's usual expression flickered as her eyes flicked to Lelou's cheek, and wavered at the qualifier. _Damn it. I'm too soft, letting this affect me to this point._ She gave Sayoko a quick hug before leaving. "Take care of her for me, Sayoko. Even if she hates me, she is still more precious to me than my life."

"I will, Lelou-sama. I will."

_**1500 hrs** _

Lelou sighed as she looked to the clock as she wandered the halls. She'd largely been ignoring the stares of students and faculty as she wandered about, but she found herself blocked by Milly after she turned a corner. "There you are! Come along, we've got to go collect Kallen from class before she gets mobbed. You still have your reputation from being Vice-President, and I've been keeping people from drowning Suzaku here."

She felt her cheeks heating as she looked to Suzaku with a little smile. Milly didn't miss the blush. "Huh. I suppose it was a good thing that I didn't go to fetch you two after dropping Kallen off in class." Milly laughed before slapping Suzaku on the back. "Good job, only one thing could make the Ice Princess melt like that. I'll only give 95 points though. At school? Really? Even I'm not that daring."

Her face must have flushed even further at Milly's words as the blonde only laughed harder. "Damn it, Milly. Can we... not talk about what may be obvious to _you_ of all people?"

Milly smirked as she slowly smothered her amusement, finally taking a deep breath before patting Lelou on the head. "Alright, alright, have it your way. But I'll be taking the rights to the story of all of this. I want an exclusive to the story of the Black Knights and the reborn Japan, particularly the Princess and her Knight."

Lelou's expression turned momentarily unreadable, to most anyways. Those who knew her before she perfected her techniques could read them still. Milly being among them as she leaned in, whispering to her. "You may think that you don't deserve him, but even you know that's a lie. Every person has a right to their happiness, just the same as they have a right to freedom that you, and Suzaku, and every other Black Knight is fighting for. Don't give up on what you want just because of the cost of what needs to be done. Don't punish yourself for being the only one with the fortitude to pay that cost."

Grinning, the blonde pulled back, giving the two of them a grin. "Just be sure to invite me along for the wedding. Now, let's go fetch Kallen before she gets into trouble."

Kallen let out a tired sigh as she sank into her seat on the hovercopter. Lelou and Suzaku were remaining at the school overnight, but her presence had been requested by Major Croomy and Lloyd Asplund. Lelou had gotten the message and simply sent her to the courtyard where she'd be picked up with the words, "You had better go along with whatever those two want, it'll be easier in the end, plus it probably means they're done tinkering with your Guren. I want you up to speed with it before the ceasefire breaks."

And so she found herself in her seat next to the scientist, black uniform covered by a white labcoat, with a manual that appeared to be at least twice the size of the one she'd originally read for the Guren propped open in her lap while the scientist chattered away amiably, oblivious to her desire to focus on the material before her.

"Don't worry too much about reading all of that. There's more of use in there for the mechanics anyways. The controls are largely similar to what you already know, on the ground anyways. You have a few more weapons, largely ones that give you a greater ranged capability. We've increased the power available to the machine, but operational time is largely similar due to the power requirements of the energy wings. Cecile's making some adjustments to your suit as well, we've decided to use the Guren as the test bed for the new Neural Interface system."

She blinked looking up at that. "Wait, what? Neural Interface? Where the hell did we get that sort of tech?"

He simply waved a hand with a lazy grin. "Oh, Rakshata played with it when she was doing research on prosthetics, and the system largely works, but she didn't have access to the quality of sensors that we've been able to provide her. Only now, we're using it to enhance performance by reading pilot intentions before they even actually manipulate the controls. Or at least that's what it's supposed to do, so we're going to work through the system with you first. It will vary for every user, at least for advanced motions, so for the time being, we're restricting it to our top pilots, but if the system works even half as well as we think it will, it should decrease your reaction time to threats to something close to your body's reaction speed."

He leaned over, flipping the book to the front cover with the main stats of the so called Guren S.E.I.T.E.N. "She's a half meter taller, about a half meter broader in the shoulders, 100 kilos heavier, but you'll find her even more maneuverable on the ground than the original. And if she can't squeeze into all of the same places, she's got the power to carve out the extra space. It's going to be a bit tougher to transport her in secret, but that shouldn't be necessary much longer what with us becoming legitimate mercenaries, soldiers, whatever we are now. You'll be able to fly her anywhere we need her faster than we could transport her until he Ikaruga is finished. You'll just have to carry an extra energy filler with you, so avoiding combat until you can get that in place would be ideal."

 _Does he ever stop talking?_ She shook off the annoyed thought quickly; knowing that while he might be going on like a parent about how amazing his child was, he was also telling her much of what she would have learned only after cutting through all of the maintenance material in the book. _Besides, if it works even half as well as he's describing it will be like the difference between going from a Glasgow to the original Guren. Well, alright, maybe not quite that drastic._

"Basically, Cecile wanted you so we could start running live tests. Our assessments with Cecile in the cockpit has all of the systems working as advertised, but she can only give us a 45% efficiency rating in the new machine. We're hoping that you can do a little bit better than that, and give us data outside of a simulator."

Kallen nodded at that. "I think I can manage to give you some live data. I imagine you're going to be putting a similar neural interface into the Lancelot?"

That drew a frown from him. "My understanding is that Rakshata is putting one in with what she's doing to my Lancelot." He shook his head quickly. "Ah, yes, I was supposed to ask about my niece. How is Lelou doing? It's been a while since we've gotten to see her around the Saitama base." Pushing up his glasses quickly he peered into Kallen's eyes. "And my fiancée. That was the other person I was supposed to ask about. Milly Ashford. And you don't have to answer that if it's going to take more than two minutes, we're almost there and I'm not interested in knowing really. Just that I needed to be able to say that I asked when Cecile asks me."

She shook her head at that. "They're all fine, as far as I know. Lelou's fine, but she's acting a little weird around Suzaku, but Milly... I can't really say for her. She was acting like herself I suppose."

"Oh good, so all is normal enough." He gave a wide smile as the hovercopter began to descend into the ruins of Saitama.

_**Tuesday December 4, 2017 a.t.b.** _ _**0400 hrs Saitama Ghetto Ruins** _

Kallen panted as she pulled the helmet off with shaking fingers. The series of sudden accelerations, twists, turns, and decelerations that she'd done before landing at the maximum speed was enough to try even her stamina. "Are you alright in there, Kallen?"

She glanced at the open communications window, nodding at Major Croomy. "Y-yeah. I'm good. Just the... implications of the new systems in this thing. It's already got a handle on my more common motions to the point where I just begin to touch the controls for it and it does it."

"That's how it's supposed to work, the system is associating thought patterns with actions, you'll still have to input commands for more advanced motions, but you'll find that the machine will be able to... read you a little. It will take some time to get used to, but I'm glad you've figured out how to fly, even if you're pushing your limits while you do so. It's time for you to take a break. And I won't take no for an answer, you're on your fourth energy filler. That's enough for today. You need to get some rest."

Kallen was about to argue, but decided better when she noticed a slight twitch in the Major's eye. "Alright, returning to base." She closed the window with a little chuckle before dragging a gloved hand over her sweaty brow before pulling the helmet back on.

She hadn't been entirely pleased with it at first, though it was probably just out of a sense of tradition. She'd never worn a helmet when she'd just been a resistance fighter. _Which really was a stupid thing as hard as I got knocked around in the Glasgow on occasion._ She was fairly certain this helmet would provide a measure of protection though. They'd modified one of the new infantry helmets that were being issued to Black Knights along with Rakshata's new body armor.

What wasn't so certain, was how fragile the sensors within it were. She hoped she wouldn't ever find out. _This one will perform even better than the old Guren even without the neural interface, but I'm going to be spoiled by this system. I'll have to make sure that we're making it as sturdy as possible._

She grinned before she grasped the controls, the machine reacting to her thoughts, the Guren's wings spreading and activating, the ruined buildings being lit by brilliant red light flaring from the energy wings as they lit off, just before she shot into the sky spinning rapidly. _This is incredible._ She grunted as she suddenly accelerated parallel to the ground as she made her way to the collapsed tunnel that served as the entrance to the temporary base. She pulled a few more maneuvers that not even a Britannian Interceptor could have matched, at speeds that were impossible for a Knightmare on the ground.

She slowed on her approach, kicking up a rather sizeable cloud of dust before she cut power to the wings a few meters off the ground, landing easily on the pathway that had been cleared to allow Knightmares to enter and exit. She was practically on autopilot until she spun the machine around, setting it back in position as the mechanics moved to begin attaching cables, beginning diagnostics before the hatch even opened.

She pulled the helmet off, placing it in a rack on the hatch as she swung off the seat, having to catch herself on the railing as her legs nearly gave out beneath her. Cecile hurried over with a worried expression on her face as she slipped Kallen's arm over her shoulder as she supported the teen. "Sorry about that, we've had you in that thing for nearly ten hours. Normally I'd have brought you out five hours ago, but you're a natural test pilot. You've managed to push it to the limits without any instruction from us, and you've managed to push it in ways that I wouldn't have even thought of."

Kallen only chuckled. "That's alright. I would have wanted to keep going anyways. I'm not convinced that I'm not dreaming right now. It handles like a dream. We need to get this system in the works for the Black Knights. If we do, I think we'll be able to hold off anything Britannia can throw at us."

Cecile frowned. "As much as I'd like to, the system is much too expensive for that, we may be able to produce a more basic system that can read trained patterns, but for now we're limited to having this only on our most powerful units. Oh, and it is a secret, so don't mention it to anyone outside of our engineering group for the time being."

"Alright. Now, I think it's time to for me to get some sleep." Kallen laughed weakly before she disentangled herself from the Major and stumble her way to her cot.


	23. Chapter 23

**_Tuesday January 15, 2018 a.t.b. 1300 hrs Parade Ground, Britannian Government Compound, Tokyo, Republic of Japan_ **

Black Knights stood at attention, watching as the Imperial flag descended for the last time while the notes of the Britannian anthem faded away in the chill air. Lelou stood at the head of the Japanese side of the ceremony along with several of the new civilian leaders. Looking across to the Britannian side, Cornelia's face was a mask.

 _Not a very good one though. Not to those that know her anyways._ She kept her chuckle mental only. It wouldn't do to show such a petty emotion in a national broadcast. The scene had been repeated a number of times in bases and settlements across the islands as the Britannians withdrew, allowing the Black Knights to occupy their military facilities and temporary local governments to take over administrative facilities.

There had been a few incidents, a few Japanese citizens celebrating a little too early, and in front of Britannian soldiers that had led to a fight that had left a civilian dead. Riots had erupted when the Britannian commander refused to punish the soldiers in any way, and it had only been a quick agreement between Prime Minister Sumeragi and Viceroy Cornelia to allow the early end of Britannian patrols in favor of the Black Knights taking over law enforcement that had prevented further violence.

The Black Knights had been dressed down rather angrily by the Japanese media for the deployment of a company against the rioters to defend Britannian property. Lelou had been forced to issue a statement about the situation. She'd simply raised an eyebrow when a reporter had snarled a question about why she was willing to send troops to stand against the people she was fighting for. _The media. They never remember what you tell them. Clearly they don't remember the Black Knights mission statement._

After replying that their mission first and foremost was the protection of the weak against the strong, along with the upholding of the present Constitution and continued peace, she had simply bowed and left the reporters to shout their questions at Captain Reid.

Kaguya had attempted to defuse the situation in a press conference that she'd put together less than an hour after the conclusion of Lelou's. At first, the correspondents had been nearly as hostile as they had been to Lelou, but the young Prime Minister was quickly able to head them off with a graceful speech that had described her own regret at the situation, without condemning the actions taken by the Black Knights. Her eyes hadn't _quite_ sparkled when several members of the press actually looked away when she asked for the people of Japan to remain calm, to refrain from lowering themselves to petty acts of revenge. Redress would be sought, but only through proper channels.

Lelou had been pleasantly surprised by the girl's reaction to the situation, and she'd been even more pleased with the response to the final question. The question of the Black Knight's response to the riots. She hadn't referred to any of the Black Knight's ideals, she'd only gone to quote an article from the Constitution. The Black Knight's leader supressed a pleased smile as she remembered the young teen's words.

" _The Black Knights were contracted to uphold and defend the Constitution. The article in question in this incident is quite clear. The right to property, how it is only through the due process of law that it may be denied any citizen. The Black Knights were merely acting upon an acceptable interpretation of the actions of the rioters. The rioters sought to deny citizens their right to property through the destruction and theft of it. As such, they have not acted improperly and will not be reprimanded for their actions. I only ask that people remain calm during such a tumultuous time so that unnecessary incidents do not occur again."_

She grit her teeth as she watched the Britannian honor guard reverently folding the flag before marching stiffly away as Suzaku led the procession of Black Knights, Kallen in their middle, cradling a white triangle. While hardly the first Japanese flag to fly over the new Japan, this was the most important. This one would be the first to fly over a government facility in the capital.

_They don't understand that blind vengeance is foolish. We'd only be giving regular Britannians a reason to hate Japan if we started looting and taking what petty revenge we might. Thank goodness most of the Black Knights agree with the reasoning behind my orders in that regard. And those that don't... I can think of a few positions where they can be shuffled off to where they can't cause any real harm with as rapidly as the Black Knights are expanding now that we've got open recruitment._

She saluted sharply along with every other Black Knight present as the flag was run up, snapping in the wind. She did give a small smile now; anyone that would fault her for giving a smile at this time would fault her merely for existing. _It's a little hard to believe even now that in just months we've taken the Black Knights from one resistance group to an organization numbering nearly 40,000. Still not enough though. We're already feeling the strain with how widely we must deploy just to keep order. Fortunately we should be getting our first new units commissioned soon, and even if they're going to be green, they'll at least be able to handle police duties until the government can get its own law enforcement units put together._

_We're going to have to grow even larger though. We need to be able to hold off a Britannian invasion, not just slow it down. Especially with Cornelia being as angry as she is. I can only hope that Schneizel can convince her that it's more important for her to be fighting the EU rather than coming after me when the war begins._

At least funding the organization wasn't a problem. Kaguya had given them what amounted to a blank check and only told to keep costs as low as possible while ensuring Japan's independence. The revenue from the sakuradite shipments to the EU alone would have been more than enough to sustain the Black Knights current budget and then some.

Though the projections for costs when the new Federation got up and running were staggeringly large. They were likely to end up only marginally smaller than the current combined armed forces of the EU; already they were working on the industrial capacity to support what the Black Knights would become. Indian factories that had been operated in secret were now producing Gekkas as fast as possible, and there were already a few facilities in Japan that were geared up for producing Knightmares.

_At least India has already signalled its agreement to join the new Federation. Most of the smaller nations should agree shortly as well, given that the other option was to sign alliances that most of them feared would turn into another Chinese Federation in the end, whatever reforms have been made in China. Now though... I just need to get Li Xingke to agree to join with us. C.C. says that she thinks he'll go along with it if the Empress' visit goes well._

She paused her thoughts as Cornelia began to approach. Kaguya moved to meet her midway, motioning for Lelou to follow. "Prime Minister. You have it on my honor that this is only a temporary transition. I trust that you realize what will occur when I return for this rebellious little area. You, Lelou, all of your precious government and Black Knights will be put to death like the traitors they are."

The girl only shrugged. "Then we will have died doing the right thing, your Highness. We have made this as peaceful a transition as possible, and I would like to keep it that way. Save your threats, you have kept your word, and so shall we keep ours. Euphemia will be delivered safely to you when you have landed in Area 7."

Cornelia's eyes narrowed at that. But she nodded, about to turn around, only to be stopped as Lelou spoke. "Prime Minister, might I have a word in private with my sister?"

Kaguya raised an eyebrow at the request, but nodded in response as she made her way back to the Japanese delegation, leaving them standing alone. "Cornelia, as much as we may loathe what the other has become, I still view you as my sister. I have no desire to kill you. I only ask that you leave, and do not attempt to return. I know that you have not attempted to subvert our agreement in any way, and for that I thank you. I know that enough of the sister who cared for me as a little girl is still there to know that killing you would be as painful a wound as killing Clovis was."

She paused, taking a deep breath and squaring her shoulders as she looked up into the taller woman's eyes. "So please, don't return. The Black Knights will crush anyone who invades territory under our protection, and if you lead the invaders, I will make it our highest priority to see you dead."

"You know me, little sister. You know that will not stop me. Just as you know that I will return to crush you as you so amply deserve for being the greatest traitor our nation has seen in centuries."

Lelou sighed but nodded. "I figured that you would say that." She closed her eyes, feeling the power gathering in her left eye as she opened them. "Then before you leave, tell me why you abandoned your post and left my mother to die at the hands of her enemies."

Cornelia stiffened as the Geass took hold of her, before finally relaxing a moment later. "I didn't abandon my post. Your mother ordered her guards away. I tried to remain, but she sent me away just an hour before she was killed."

"Who killed her?"

"I don't know. I've searched for years to find any trace of it, but all I have is that it was paid for by someone in Pendragon at the time. The money transfers originated in the city. After that the trail goes cold."

Frowning, she released the power. Lelou watched as her sister blinked looking a little confused before she focused again on her. "Well then, I'm glad that you know me so well. All the better that you'll know exactly what will be done to you before you finally die."

Lelou gave a little sad smile. "I'm sorry that the world has pitted us against each other like this. We will not speak again. Goodbye, sister."

Cornelia's eyes narrowed, but she said nothing as she turned on her heel marching away before Lelou did the same. _I'd hoped she'd know something more about mother's death, I suppose that just leaves Schneizel to ask, but I'm not going to be able to get access to him quite so easily, if at all. Though, Father may know more about it. All the stories I've heard had Mother being his favorite. I might be better served just going straight after him especially considering that Schneizel's the one running the Empire these days anyways._

She let out a sigh as she nodded her thanks to Kaguya, who didn't ask what she'd discussed with Cornelia. _I suppose I should consider myself lucky that she's willing to trust me. Now I just have to make sure that she ends up elected. I suppose that means ensuring that things go well._

_**Thursday January 17, 2018 a.t.b. 1000 hrs Narita International Airport, Republic of Japan** _

Kallen sighed, even as her eyes swept over her surroundings, taking in every detail. Every last empty, flat patch of land, interrupted only by the tall forms of Black Gekkas. Lelou had deployed what seemed to be nearly half of the Black Knight's reserves to guard the airport for the arrival of Empress Tianzi and her Prime Minister, Li Xingke.

_It's not that I don't understand that this meeting has to go well, but does it truly merit having me playing guard for these two? We have plenty of people who are good enough to take care of them._

She stiffened to attention as the jet taxied into position. It was a Chinese Military cargo hauler, the name of which she couldn't recall, that had been commandeered by one of the former High Eunuchs, before their office had been abolished along with their executions. It had been repainted in Imperial colors, and was now the transport of choice for the Empress and her Prime Minister.

The rest of the honor guard mirrored her as the aircraft finally came to a stop, several of the ground crew wheeling up the ramp to allow disembarkation. Kaguya stood to her right, a smile on her face as the hatch opened. A man with long black hair exited first, the sword on his hip would have given away his identity even if she hadn't been provided with a picture of him before the day. Li Xingke was deadly with any number of weapons if the reports from C.C. and Sugiyama were to be believed, but especially so with that blade. _I still can't believe that he'd actually use only that sword and a pistol when storming the Imperial Palace though..._

She worked to keep her thoughts from showing in her expression as he turned, to help a tiny girl down the stairway. _That's the Empress? She looks even younger than Kaguya._ She nodded to the sergeant that headed the honor guard. At his command, the honor guard presented their weapons, causing the Empress to twitch skittishly, her hand obviously gripping Xingke's hand tighter before he looked down and whispered something to her.

Kallen shrugged mentally. The girl would have to get used to such things eventually, but it was understandable given her age as well as having been a puppet to the High Eunuchs for the entirety of her reign. They were followed by a number of courtiers and several guards of their own, but it was a remarkably small entourage given how quickly Colonel C.C. and Major Sugiyama exited. Especially considering that they were the last to exit the plane.

Her main attention was on Kaguya and her guests, who stood on the runway, chatting just out of earshot, though it was already clear that the Empress was readily being put at ease by the slightly older teen. While the risk of them coming to harm with the defences put in place was small, it was still far larger than the redhead would have preferred given the sort of chaos that could be created by even harming any one of the three.

The young Prime Minister clearly had taken such things into account though, keeping their exposure to a minimum as she beckoned her guests to the waiting convoy, Kallen nodding to the honor guard who broke ranks to enter the armored vehicles ahead of and behind the dignitaries' limousine. Kallen observed, making sure everything was in place before heading to the last vehicle in line, a massive truck that carried her beloved Guren. _Lelou did say to not take any chances with their safety. Bringing the Guren along could hardly be considered as doing anything less._

She sighed as she nodded to the driver, who passed the order to the rest of the convoy to proceed.

_**Thursday January 17, 2018 a.t.b. 1100 hrs Former Britannian Government Complex, Tokyo, Republic of Japan** _

Lelou chuckled quietly as she watched the convoy rolled in. She noted the carrier bringing up the rear with mixed approval and amusement. Kallen took her duties seriously, even if bringing the Guren along was likely more than just a little bit of overkill. _Still, even though Diethard and I were both of the opinion that an attack was unlikely, it's better to have her along with the tools to defeat anything that might have slipped past us._

_We should have at least two weeks before any sort of retaliation comes along. A week for Cornelia to get back to Area 7, and another for any sort of force to arrive, and that's not even counting the time it takes for her to gather it. The Jiyu will be able to harass any force that she sends our way, and hopefully be able to cause enough damage to force them back._

She turned back from the window, facing General Katase and Captain Reid. "Forgive the interruption, General. I was interested in seeing how my subordinate would accomplish a mission without any sort of input from me."

The old General shook his head with a little smile. "It's not a problem. I remember having a similar reaction when I first reached the rank to where I could no longer manage everything personally."

Diethard only chuckled as he observed Lelou. _Sometimes it's easy to read him, but others I would have more luck gauging the Emperor's thoughts than his._ "As nice as it may be to see one's subordinates performing admirably, I'm afraid that we do not have the time to indulge in it. We have bought time with Cornelia's withdrawal, but precious little of it, especially given the fact that Euphemia has already been put aboard the Jiyu, and is on her way to Area 7. Fortunately, the war in Europe is on the verge of erupting once again, and the Union is doing everything in its power to resume the war. I'm told that Adenauer is confident that they will have the support to begin offensive actions by next Monday."

Lelou frowned, not missing the disapproving tone from the captain at the mention of Euphemia. "Captain, I appreciate the fact that you're willing to disagree with me, openly even. When I have made an agreement I will keep it, however helpful it might have been to break it. I'm not telling you to change, I need differing opinions, but in the future, please keep that in mind, and that revisiting a decision that has already been made is unnecessary."

He nodded with a slight smirk on his face as she turned back to Katase. "Now then, General. The JLF is in an interesting position. From what I understand, you aided in Li Xingke's coup in China. I've even heard that a letter of thanks was sent to the Prime Minister's office that was signed by Prime Minister Li, and bore the Imperial Seal." He nodded, but said nothing as she paused.

"The question now, is what to do with the JLF. I'm certain that many among your troops would desire to see the JLF morph back into the Japanese Army." He nodded once more as her statement leaned more towards being a question. "I'm afraid that isn't going to be possible."

The old General sighed as he leaned back in his chair, watching her as she finally sat back down in her own. "That was the answer I would have expected when I finally asked that question. I wonder if the reasoning behind why you would say no is the same however. So the next logical question..."

She frowned slightly as he broke off. "Several reasons, the most important of which is regrettably political. The Black Knights are stretched thin defending Japan, and at present, the JLF might have a fourth of our number, if even that much. I cannot afford to have two militaries running around in the same nation. That's just asking for unnecessary conflicts. Nor can I afford to have my authority undermined by the presence of... the old guard, if you will pardon the expression. We cannot spend the time properly answering the questions that would arise with the remnants of the old Japanese Army, and the new 'mercenaries' that have been contracted to take on that role being thrown together."

He nodded again, a little smile deepening several of the wrinkles on his face even further. "An unfortunate reality, but I did consider that being a large portion of why you'd answer no. I have been in contact with Colonel Toudou and his immediate subordinates since your victory, and I can't help but think you've won them over. I am unsure of where Toudou would stand should you ask him to remain with the Black Knights over returning to the JLF. I've seen what you're doing on the mainland, and I believe that Toudou understands what you're up to. I trust his judgment completely, and he told me that we shouldn't make an issue of it if we did not want to see you and Prime Minister Sumeragi destroy us for doing so."

"General, I am thankful that you understand where I find myself forced to stand. Please, do not take this as a slight against the JLF, I have only admiration for the courage that you and your people have shown in the face of Britannian occupation, and I hate repaying them with what amounts to outright hostility. However, as Toudou has no doubt revealed to you, this is bigger than Japan. And so, members of the JLF will have a number of options, return to Japan to a hero's welcome, and return to their homes and families to help rebuild as civilians, or to join the Black Knights and continue to fight against Britannia. There are of course other options, more than a few would have an easy time being elected as soon as the new Constitution is passed, but those two were the ones I felt most likely to be picked."

Katase leaned back with a sigh as he closed his eyes. "You do not believe that the old world would be compatible with the one you are attempting to build?"

She gave a sad smile when the General opened his eyes. "No, I'm afraid not, General. Japan may have been closer to the ideal than most nations, but it was still not enough, especially considering the fact that the JLF still harbors some along the lines of Kusakabe."

He nodded in reply. "Very well, I shall let my soldiers know what their options are, but as of today you may consider the JLF disbanded; our mission accomplished with your help."

"Thank you, General. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have another meeting to attend." She stood, nodding politely to the general as she stepped into the hallway. She heard a chuckle before the door closed, as Katase addressed Diethard. The words brought a small smile to her lips.

"She's quite formidable for a girl not even a third of my age. I wonder how far she'll go?"

_As far as I must, General. As far as I must._

_**Friday February 1, 2018 a.t.b. 1300 hrs BKS Ikaruga, 1st Black Skyfleet over Tokyo** _

Cecile smiled as she looked at her console. _Everything is working. Not that it wouldn't have, we knew it worked, just kicking the fluctuations with multiple float units this size was hard. Even now I can still hear Lloyd's cackling when he ran the simulation._

She rolled her eyes at that thought. The former Earl had only been so happy because he'd beaten Rakshata to the proper equations. What he hadn't known was the reason behind why the Indian scientist hadn't focused as much as she could have on trying to work out the problems. _She knew that Lloyd and I would be able to work it out, and so she focused instead on getting the Ikaruga... and her sisters complete. Even Lelou was surprised when Rakshata flew three Ikaruga-class ships over from India._

She grinned at the memory. She had never seen the girl look so astonished when three of them showed up on our scans. _Well, of course only the Ikaruga is actually the Black Knight's, at least until India signs the charter._ She chuckled again at that. Kaguya had sprung the idea on everyone a little over a week ago.

_Nations bound together by their dedication to liberty, their opposition to tyranny, and willing to prove it by giving up what has been the defining factor amongst most nations in the history of our world, military power._

The Major still marvelled at the idea. It had to belong to Lelou, at least partly. She had always said that her goals went beyond just Japan, beyond even the Empire. And now, with war having resumed between the Empire and the EU, they were free to act. The old Chinese Federation was dead, with the Empress and her Prime Minister having released all of its signatories, those that had been willing and those who had signed at gunpoint, of their responsibilities, declaring the Federation dissolved.

Cecile pulled her eyes from the display showing the various sensor outputs from the float units, confident that they could keep the Ikaruga aloft without constant monitoring. She looked up at the command chair, seeing Ohgi seated, Lelou standing nearby, chatting quietly with him. _Interesting how calm she is, given that she's just created a new superpower, one that is placing its entire collective military power under her control. Not to mention the fact that so many of the heads of state are on a first name basis with her._

She chuckled quietly. _Not that I'm worried about her having so much power, I've thrown in my lot with her, and she is dedicated to her beliefs._ She blinked as the main monitor shifted, displaying the broadcast from the ground, nearly a thousand meters below. Kaguya stood in the center of a row of some of the most recognizable figures of the region, to her right Rakshata's father, the new Indian President. And to her left, Empress Tianzi and Li Xingke. Extending further out were the leaders of the newly independent former members of the Chinese Federation.

She stepped forward, delicate silks swaying as she made her way to the podium. She looked out, smiling widely at the crowd before her, most members of the audience being those in government of the various Asian nations represented by the leaders behind her, the rest primarily being members of the various media organizations present in the region, even the Imperial Britannian Broadcast Service.

The girl at the podium was a masterful politician, long before years of experience could have explained it. Even Cecile was drawn in to the little smile, but she was captured as Sumeragi began to speak.

 _"Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for coming today. The Republic of Japan welcomes you all, and values the friendship that your nations have shown during such a turbulent time period. We," she paused, turning back, motioning at the assembled leaders behind her, "and many amongst you have come upon a solution_. _"_

" _With the_ _dissolution of the Chinese Federation, and the removal of Britannian control over Japan, we find ourselves in an enviable position. We all have regained the right to self-determination. That right however, is incredibly fragile. And none of the nations represented here today are in a position that would allow them to maintain that right should the Holy Britannian Empire decide that they want something of that nation."_

_"If you will forgive the use of a proverb, 'A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.' Following that advice, as well as the example of the only other group of nations that has successfully managed to consistently halt the efforts of foreign enemies, we have agreed that international ties amongst our nations need to go deeper that mere mutual defense treaties. We have agreed upon a new union, an equal one, one that will not allow any government to deprive our citizens of their liberties."_

_"We shall be the founding members of a new polity. The United Federation of Nations. All members will be bound by this charter, enacting no law to interfere with it, and striking down any existing law that would conflict with the Articles to follow."_

Cecile leaned back, more watching the reactions of the crowd to the articles as they were read off than the words of the articles themselves. She already knew that they contained. Guarantees of freedoms, specifically those regarding the citizen's rights to openly question their government, to express their views in any and all media without fear of reprisal. Leaving true power in the hands of citizens, granting them the right to elect their leaders and representatives to the UFN's new Parliament, and perhaps more importantly granting them the right to impeach those representatives from office before their term is completed.

The broadcast went on, slowly reaching the final article, the one that the Major was most surprised had managed to remain intact through whatever sort of political wrangling that Sumeragi had gone through to get the other leaders to agree to.

_"And lastly, Article 17 of the UFN, all ratifying nations of the UFN charter do hereby abandon native military power forever. To guarantee the security of each member nation, the UFN contracts the Order of the Black Knights, a force unaffiliated with any one nation. All existing military resources are granted to the Order, and all members of the abolished militaries are granted the choice of honorable discharge, or continuing their service by joining the Order with the understanding that they are no longer beholden to their nation, but to the Order. With the knowledge that the source of most disturbances in the world is possession of military power by disparate nations, we endeavor with this article to prevent such occurrences by mandating that the Order is bound to act only in defense of a UFN member nation's territorial integrity, or by resolution of the UFN Supreme Council subject to the approval of Parliament."_

Cecile frowned in thought as she listened to the article again. _Though, I suppose they aren't truly giving up much control if we think of it in terms of being a new nation rather than a grouping of nations, no matter how much they tried to protect the cultural heritages of each nation. Provided that the UFN survives the war with Britannia, over enough time, citizens would probably begin to identify more with being a citizen of the UFN than as a citizen of a member nation. If anything, abandoning national militaries will probably just speed that up along with diminishing potentially harmful rivalries if we'd tried to integrate every nation into a multi-national armed force._

She smirked before turning back to her console. _We live in interesting times indeed. Freedom, democracy, those are words that have been long ignored, and yet here is a new nation, near a third of the world under its sway dedicated to them with the Black Knights as their sword and shield, equally dedicated to those ideals._

 _How far will we go?_ She smiled as she looked back, seeing the small smile on Lelou's lips as the leader of the Order watched as the news anchor analyzed the charter for the audience. _No, I suppose the question should really be, 'How far will she take us?'_


	24. Chapter 24

**_Friday February 1, 2018 a.t.b. 1500 hrs Student Council Building, Ashford Academy_ **

" _A new world power has been formed today. One whose very founding charter puts it in direct opposition with His Majesty's policies. We welcome this new body that has proven itself our enemy through word and action by harboring the so-called Republic of Japan formed by rebel elements amongst the citizenry of Area Eleven and the traitor Princess Lelou vi Britannia. Not since Washington's Rebellion has an enemy so dire arisen, but now that she is exposed; it is only a matter of time until she is brought to justice and made to pay for the crimes she has committed."_

The anchor was typically Britannian, arrogance dripping from his tone, though that was to be expected with the Britannian media being in the hands of nobles or even His Majesty's Government. It certainly wasn't helping the mood in the room. Shirley seemed exhausted, her chin resting on her palm as she watched the TV with unfocused eyes. Rivalz wasn't much better, but at least he was accomplishing something, approving or denying budgets for clubs.

Milly's eyes traveled to the computer in the corner, the empty seat as glaringly obvious to her as Lelou's was. Nina had never been comfortable in an Area, even if the Academy's walls and the Settlement kept her from having to deal with most Japanese. A sad smile slid onto the President's lips. _There's no way that she would stay here during the transition back to Japan. Especially when Britannian patrols were replaced by Black Knights. And that's not even mentioning the grant she received for whatever research that she was working on._

She glanced out the window, looking towards the University sector. Figures clad in black were watching over one of the garages. _I knew that Grandfather had allowed the Britannian military to post a unit here on campus, but I wouldn't have expected the Black Knights to maintain it given the current situation._

The thought that followed lightened her mood a little. _Lelou's doing, no doubt. As cold as she likes to pretend she is at times, she's one of the kindest people I know in regards to her friends._

The school felt empty without half of the student council, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to replace anyone. Nor did she plan to, without complaints of the workload from Shirley or Rivalz. She turned back to the TV as the anchor moved on to further updates of the war with the EU. _Brave Britannian troops advancing deep into France, the Netherlands, Spain. Valiant Britannians bringing glory to the Empire even as they are forced back by the enemy in Denmark, harried by partisans behind the lines. I suppose I should applaud them for even admitting to being pushed back where Panzer divisions are present, and that partisans are giving supply lines hell._

She chuckled quietly, giving Rivalz a little smile and a shake of her head at his questioning look. _Not doing a very good job of maintaining your whimsical blonde character when you're contemplating how surprisingly open the Empire is being with information. At least you're doing a better job than Lelou though. She's pretty well thrown out the cool beauty with being the leader of what amounts to one of the three most powerful fighting forces on the planet now. Though still cool, and still a beauty, most people will just have trouble seeing past the sea of black uniforms to her._

Her thoughts were interrupted as Shirley sighed, a depressingly common event these days. "Was the world really so wrong as it was?"

 _Yes, and it still is._ Milly managed to hold her tongue as Shirley continued. "Don't get me wrong, I never really thought that the Numbers system was right. But is what Lelou is doing really right? She's fighting against her homeland, and from how she's spoken of by the media the war is her fault. A war that seems like it could drag on for a long time, and a war that this new United Federation of Nations will find itself drawn into. There are already thousands of people dead or hurt. Are those lives, and the ones that will be lost, really worth it?"

Rivalz frowned before he looked down at the table. "Lelou, Kallen, and even Suzaku seem to think that it is. I know what you mean though, sure, life was bad for non-Britannians in new Areas, but after a while people just got used to it and life went on. Heck, some people were even better off under the Numbers system than they were their own governments."

 _They're smart, but still young without the benefit of being forced to grow up fast to survive court politics, or their nation conquered._ "Before we doubt our friend's judgment, I would remind you of their backgrounds as we now know it. Kallen is half-Japanese, and her family was torn apart because her father's family demanded that he act like the noble he is. She was lucky that she managed to escape from life in the ghettos. Suzaku is the son of the Japanese Prime Minister during the war, who took his own life rather than let the Empire torture whatever secrets he may have had out of him, leaving Suzaku to try and deal with the chaos after the conquest."

Milly gave a sad smile at the looks of contrition on both of their faces. "They have reason enough to fight, but then we come to Lelou, whose story I know even better because my family helped her stay hidden before she launched this rebellion... no, I suppose we should call it a revolution. When she was a child, she was ostracized by most of the Royal family thanks to her mother's commoner blood. Only the li Britannias, and her older brothers Schneizel and Clovis viewed her without hostility."

They twitched at that, beginning to realize just what that meant, especially since it was she who had personally shot Clovis, kidnapped the youngest li Britannia to force the elder to leave Japan at what likely was a very real threat of harm to Euphemia had Cornelia failed to agree. Milly gave a mirthless chuckle. "Lelou had been a target of assassination at least three different times before she was even nine years old, all of them coming from within her own 'family.' It's a wonder that she isn't a twisted monster, near miraculous that she's fighting for people who can't fight for themselves. I don't blame her for wanting to destroy the Empire, or for wanting to pull the trigger on members of her own family."

She shook her head. "Clovis, while normally fair, turned into a monster. He ordered an entire ghetto cleansed, men, women, children, all so that he could take out a resistance group. I would have pulled the trigger on him, but I can't even begin to imagine how much it must have hurt her to kill one of the siblings that she was closest to in the hell that is politics in Pendragon. I won't say that fighting a war to protect the ideals that she holds dear is the right thing, but I know that I have no right to say that she's doing the wrong thing. Nor can we really, you've seen the lines at recruiting offices for the Black Knights. Thousands of people, and not all of them Japanese, are signing up every day to join her. They agree to the point of being willing to fight and die for the ideals that she's protecting."

Shirley nodded, even as she stared down at her lap. "I know, I just... miss the old days, and I fear for our friends. It was hard enough that Suzaku had been reported missing in action, presumed dead, but now we've seen that he's still alive. I just don't want to see my friends hurt."

Milly nodded at that. "All we can do is hope for their safety."

**_Friday February 1, 2018 a.t.b. 1600 hrs, Prime Minister and UFN Supreme Council Chairwoman Sumeragi's Office_ **

"There's just something wrong about how good this view is. I don't like knowing that I have similar tastes in view as Clovis did. It's... disconcerting."

Lelou's expression didn't change as she stood next to the shorter girl, gazing out on Tokyo and in particular, the three airships hovering nearby. "Don't worry about it, Kaguya. Clovis as a person was different from Clovis, the Third Prince. Clovis had good taste in almost everything, save perhaps fashion and drama. The monstrous side of him came from being a member of the Imperial family, and being so close to the throne."

The girl turned, looking up at her friend. "And what of you, Lelou vi Britannia? You were the Sixth Princess. That isn't very far from the throne either, if Britannian history is any sort of judge."

Violet eyes met green before Lelou gave a little smile. "You're more than canny enough for the position you find yourself in, Kaguya. Not to mention dauntless. I am a monster. Quite possibly the worst that the Empire has ever produced. The only one that might be worse than I would be my older brother, Schneizel."

She chuckled at the girl's raised eyebrow. "Ah, and there's the proof that you're still a little naïve. Look at it in terms of good and evil. The Empire is clearly evil, but only from our perspective. From theirs, you and I are the worst things to happen to the Empire in a good century or two. I've murdered a beloved prince in cold blood; I've turned back their greatest military figure with little more than a resistance group from the early reporting on the Black Knights in their media; and you, you now lead the first Area in the history of the Empire to successfully rebel and form a nation recognized by the majority of nations on earth."

"And for all I know, this could all just be a step towards your goal, one that might prove detrimental to mine in the end," the younger of the two girls added calmly.

Lelou smiled as she walked away from the window, over towards the bookshelves. "Exactly. This could just be a step in my grand plan to take the Britannian throne for my own."

Kaguya turned towards Lelou, a grin on her face. "It isn't though."

She giggled when the Black Knight's leader turned to give her a quizzical look. "You are easy to read, to those who truly know you. I have no doubt that the people who don't, or at least don't truly understand why you're doing what you are, are in the dark. But I know better. I know why you're doing all of this. It isn't for people, it isn't for some ideal. It's for you. In a bit of a roundabout sense you're fighting for your sister, which in turn is really for your own sake, or at least your own peace of mind. That if anything were to ever happen to you, Nunnally would be able to live on in... if not a kind and gentle world, one closer to it than it currently is."

"Perhaps...or perhaps I only want you to think that way." She returned the grin that Kaguya sent her at that. "At any rate, I did come here with some business. I'd like to recommend General Katase for a position in the UFN's defense department. He's more than earned it, and I think it would go well to soothing some people who might not take kindly to the idea that the commander of 'their' military is an eighteen year old girl. And I'd like you to put a rush on the budget for the Black Knights, you have the figures we've run, and we know they're going to be low with the difficulty of integrating the national militaries into the Black Knights, not to mention how much experience we're likely to lose during the process to people unwilling to give up the fact that they wouldn't serve their nation directly."

Kaguya nodded, walking over to her desk to grab a pen and scratch down a quick note. "And what about the other issue I asked about?"

Lelou's smile grew almost predatory. "That issue? I'd give it two weeks and I'd be satisfied that we can manage it with little risk. If you're willing to gamble though, give me five days." _Not that we have so long, two weeks and they'll have departed for Japan..._

"Begin preparations, it's already been proposed to the Supreme Council. It should pass during tomorrow's session. I want you to handle it personally though, I'm sure Tohdoh would handle it perfectly, but I need you to do it."

"Ah, democratic politics rearing their ugly head so soon?"

Kaguya rolled her eyes. "Old men with overinflated egos. You've proven yourself to the Japanese people, India and China seem quite taken with you as well, but other members, especially those who haven't worked with the Black Knights are having a bit of trouble accepting you and - though they're far too diplomatic to say anything of the sort - me. We're going to end that particular issue quickly."

"I understand. And while I said it was a gamble, I only mean the difference between what I'd put at a 90% chance of success to about a 75% chance. We'll be just fine."

"Of course you will. You're going to be there after all."

* * *

_A raid on Area 7, huh? She's certainly a gutsy one._

His lips took on an evil smirk as his gaze fell from the government compound's top floor. He pulled his phone from his coat, tapping out a quick message. _Looks like it will be even easier than we thought to take care of V.V.'s orders. Her Geass would have been problematic, but now that I know its weaknesses as well as the fact that she isn't on the lookout for others with the power... Add to the fact that we'll be able to strike when she isn't even in the country?_

He pulled away from the wall, a dark chuckle drawing a few eyes from other pedestrians who only spared him a moment's attention before continuing on their way. Their thoughts were fleeting, easily ignored. Though the new Republic certainly had its fair share of talent hidden away within its capitol, it was hard to read specific individuals from this distance, and harder still to filter out the thoughts coursing through the heads of people he was unconcerned about.

He gave a little chuckle as he pulled a device from his pocket, hitting a button and giving a blissful sigh as his beloved's voice drowned out even Lelou's powerful thoughts. _I only wish that I'd be able to hear her thoughts when she discovers the gift we've given her..._

* * *

Lelou hugged the diminutive Prime Minister as she left the office, nodding to Kallen and Suzaku as the stood against the wall opposite the door. "Send the word to have the Ikaruga outfitted with the assault modules. Suzaku, you've been keeping track of what Cecile and Lloyd have been up to in terms of their research... I hope it has led to at least a little development?"

Suzaku nodded at that. "The Guren and the Lancelot are in working order. The Lancelot's levels of efficiency aren't quite what they were hoping for, but they should be able to outperform anything Britannia can be expected to field. Our operational times are going to be short though unless we work out a system of field resupply, which Cecile had a few thoughts on. Lloyd thinks he's figured out what they did to get the Hadron Cannons working on the Avalon, but it will be at least three weeks before we even manage a prototype, much less a combat ready cannon."

Lelou frowned at that. "Any alternatives?"

"Rakshata has put together two modified Radiant Wave Surgers. They won't have quite the range, nor the penetration of the Hadron Cannons, but they'll be deadly to anything we find out in the open. And we've added in launchers for sakuradite-penetrators for hardened targets. The Ikaruga's remaining armament has checked out and is performing excellently, aside from some kinks being worked out in the point-defense computers."

"Excellent. I want her loaded with the RWS and launchers as soon as possible, we need to run as many tests as possible, and we'll probably still be testing even as we take her into combat for the first time." He nodded, stepping away as he pulled out his phone, already dialing a number.

Kallen straightened unconsciously as Lelou's gaze turned to her. "Kallen, are you comfortable with the operation?"

The red-headed Captain frowned a little before speaking. "I can't say I'm entirely happy with it. It just seems a little risky to me, with us relying on too much new tech. Aerial assaults were rough when they were first developed, but we're doing one with a single battleship, and only two Knightmares that are capable of independent flight. The Gekkas will help, but only if Ikaruga is in a position to deploy them."

She shook her head. "I think we're risking too much. We may have two more Ikaruga-class ready, but I can't help but wonder what you were thinking when you suggested this operation when we thought we only had the Ikaruga."

Lelou smiled at that. "That's the answer I was hoping to hear. That, however, is precisely why it will work. No doubt my brother has informed commanders of the capabilities of these airships, and he will have the best idea of just what they're capable of with having commanded one during the only time one has seen combat thus far. Pearl Harbor's defenses will be reinforced, but not even Schneizel will have managed to prepare a base to survive an assault from an airship, much less the new Guren and Lancelot. This mission is not so much to achieve a strategic victory as a political one."

She chuckled as she pointed to herself. "As you can see, I am an eighteen year old girl, one whose credentials involve running a successful resistance group, not a military machine comprising the resources of nearly a third of the world. We need an offensive victory to prove that the Black Knights, which is to say me, are capable of fighting Britannia on its own territory. That is the primary objective of this mission. Assuming we're as successful as I could hope, we'll also manage to knock Cornelia back onto the defensive before her invasion force manages to launch. Crippling Pearl Harbor will give us half of the Pacific as a defensive line for the UFN to the east to match the EU defending us to the west."

Kallen nodded. "Even a minor victory is worth whatever losses might be incurred." She paused as she looked to Lelou. "I'm still not certain that you should be commanding this operation though. If things go badly, we'll lose the driving force behind the Black Knights."

 _I've thought about that myself, but it isn't true._ Shaking her head she addressed the issue. "Not so, the Black Knights will be perfectly capable of functioning without me. Ohgi taking command with Tohdoh to support him would still be able to accomplish my goals given the resources that would now be available to them. And it's not as if I have an option, if anyone else were to go, it would only be a victory in the eyes of my detractors because that person was in command, not because of the mission I planned. I don't have an option. I have to prove myself again so that I can begin commanding from the rear as I should be."

"Enough about that though, we've always had rough odds and managed to overcome them, this time wont be any different. I want you rested and ready though, we launch in five days."

Kallen gave a firm nod. "Understood, we'll be ready."

_**Friday February 8, 2018 a.t.b. 0300 hrs BKABB Ikaruga, 100 km south of Pearl Harbor, Area 7** _

Lelou frowned as she looked at the available reports, the majority of which coming from 'unreliable' sources. She chuckled at her choice of adjective. _Unreliable sources being sources that you haven't directly Geassed. Most of them are perfectly good in terms of quality that you'd be happy with if you hadn't gotten so spoiled with always knowing that your sources were telling the truth. It's interesting that only a few of your moles ended up in proper positions to continue providing useful information for this operation. Could Cornelia have seen some sort of pattern? I thought I was pretty careful at avoiding over utilizing any one source._

She shrugged that thought off as she picked up a report of defenses around Honolulu. It was one of the few that came from a source that she had Geassed before the Britannian withdrawal. While Honolulu was hardly the objective, reinforces would be able to arrive quickly to Pearl Harbor. _At least forces are pretty light there, this operation is a bit too rushed for my peace of mind, but it's necessary, all the information I've gotten says that we probably wouldn't have been able to wait the additional two or three weeks I wanted._

She shook her head quickly, breaking off that well worn thought path. _This is inherently a risky field you're working in these days. The whole 'no plan survives contact with the enemy' holds true, even if you have more information than you reasonably should._

She lifted her head, gazing around the bridge, seeing all of the people that she'd come to know, and despite her best efforts, love while freeing Japan. Many weren't present though, specifically left back in Tokyo should the operation go wrong. Ohgi was commanding the Black Knights in her absence, Tohdoh and the three surviving Holy Swords commanding the various strongholds and points that would be left most vulnerable should Britannia free up the forces to strike at the UFN.

Lloyd and Rakshata's requests to come along had been denied, only Cecile was along overseeing the Ikaruga's engineers. Sugiyama was working with the various special forces that had been folded into the Black Knights, working steadily towards assembling them into a single coherent force, split only by specialties rather than national origin. C.C. was present, lazily draping herself over the Captain's chair that Lelou had vacated to look once more at the tactical map of the island. She wasn't along for any particular reason, other than no one stopping her and Lelou not having told her to be elsewhere.

Her presence, or at least her current position was unappreciated by the Ikaruga's executive officer. Inoue Naomi hadn't seemed entirely happy with her appointment as the Ikaruga's exec, even with the promotion to Major. Colonel Toru Yoshida seemed to be perfectly happy with his new position as Captain however, even if he was constantly being lectured by his new XO about being too laid back with the crew.

The crew was largely the same as it had been when it had been flown to Japan by Rakshata, which meant that they were all dedicated to the Black Knight's goals. They were among the best that India had to offer, and it showed in their performance, even with the inevitable issues with flying a brand new battleship across the Pacific, they'd arrived even faster than Lelou had expected they'd be able to, the Ikaruga having fallen below cruising speed only once, and even then only for the ten minutes it took for the engineers to mount new capacitors on the float unit.

She blinked as she looked at the various displays, realizing that they were approaching the 50 km mark. Turning her head to Yoshida, she gave him a quick nod before refocusing on what was important; their tactical situation.

Yoshida called out, ordering them to drop speed to enable the Gefjun fields to maintain their stealth. The Ikaruga's icon seemed to slow to a crawl in its approach to the island chain on the map, though that was only in comparison to the speeds that they'd been able to maintain farther out. The current speed, nearly 75 km/hr, was unheard of for the amount of firepower that the airship could deliver.

The plan was simple in terms of execution, close to the 10 km mark, then launch missiles, to bombard all of the major anti-aircraft positions surrounding the harbor. Then take the Ikaruga directly into the harbor for a high speed pass over the Britannian fleet knocking out as much of it as possible with the Hadron cannons and the 30 cm guns. After the first pass they would head west, before coming about and overflying Honolulu to destroy the facilities that had been built there in order to help supply the invasion fleet that was building up in the harbor. Depending on the defenses that remained it would be another fast pass to ensure that the fleet was crippled to buy additional time for the Black Knights to build up, or a slow one, to ensure the as much destruction as possible on the fleet and the harbor itself.

 _The plan is made, I'm simply along for the ride now. Well, and in case anything unexpected occurs of course._ She walked over to the captain's chair, giving C.C. a poke only to receive a frown and a long-suffering sigh as the Colonel vacated the seat to allow Lelou to take it. She had offered the seat to Yoshida, but he had declined, saying that while the Ikaruga might be his, as a 'flag officer' she was entitled to have the best view, not to mention the fact that he was more comfortable standing, to oversee the crew and command during battle.

She gave a quiet chuckle at that. After having seen him commanding in simulations he would have been better off in the centuries past, the captain of an old sailing ship, sword in one hand, pistol in the other as he faced down his foes. _At least that's the feeling I get when I watch him. And fortunately, Major Inoue is there to keep him grounded..._ she frowned at her own word choice. _No, not grounded, but at least keeping his head out of the clouds._

She opened up a communications window to the pilot's ready room. Kallen was sitting in one of the chairs, looking at the same tactical map that Lelou had been staring at earlier. Suzaku's eyes were closed as he sat rigidly straight in the seat next to her. Both were in their pilot suits, not that she had expected anything different; knowing them they'd been in the ready room for at least two hours already. "Are you two ready? We'll be deploying you at the same time we open fire with the Hadron cannons. Your priority is defending the Ikaruga, so keep up with the ship and destroy any knightmares that get close."

Kallen raised an eyebrow at that, turning her gaze from the maps to Lelou's image. "You think they might have flight-capable knightmares?" Suzaku's own eyes opened at that, though he didn't say anything, simply waiting for Lelou to answer.

"I don't know, Kallen. But if they do, I imagine they'll only be on new units. We haven't seen any evidence of them fielding it on existing knightmares yet. I just want us to be ready for anything." Lelou gave them a wry smile. "It's not as if we haven't surprised them often enough to get to where we are. The last thing we need to do is let them return the favor. At any rate, there is one thing that I have to tell you two."

Suzaku finally spoke at that, catching the odd tone of Lelou's voice. "There's no need, Lelou. The both of us have been through our knightmares time and time again; it's not hard to recognize a self-destruct device." He gave a little chuckle as she twitched. "We know, and understand. The both of us are alright with it. We can't let machines like these fall into Britannian hands. If anything happens, those will just save us the torture before death. And it wouldn't be easy on either of us, a Britannian deserter siding with the enemy, and the daughter of a Britannian Count? They would get creative on us." Kallen nodded fiercely at that.

Lelou sighed. _I knew that they would answer that way, so why didn't I just tell them about it beforehand?_ "Even so, I owe the two of you an apology for having not informed you of it when I ordered them installed. I figured that would be your reaction, but I also didn't want to..." She broke off with a shrug as they gave her smiles.

"Don't worry about it. The both of us suggested it to Cecile and Rakshata ourselves, we're prepared. We'd rather die than let harm come to our home." Lelou gave a little smile, nodding at Kallen's determination.

"I'm glad, but even so, stay safe you two, don't do anything too crazy out there. I don't want to lose either of you."

They returned her smile, saluting before she cut the connection. She heard a little snort to her right. "Quit worrying, they'll be fine. I'm more worried about this death-trap you've gone and put us aboard."

"Why C.C., I don't believe I've ever heard that particular tone from you before. Could you be nervous?" Lelou couldn't hold back the teasing laugh; it wasn't often that she was afforded such an opportunity after all.

C.C.'s eyes flashed, narrowing on Lelou. "When you've lived as long as I, you accept that things change, technology progresses and so on. It's one thing for people to mimic birds, to fly through the sky utilizing lift. It's another though, to have what amounts to close enough to a giant armored box floating through the air. Not to mention how the loss of just a few of these so called 'float units' will leave us plummeting to a watery grave."

"We'll be fine, C.C. This is just another step along the path of technological progress. Think of it this way, at least I killed the chance for Lloyd to attempt to modify the float system to be able to take one of these things into space...at least for now. That would have made this trip even more exciting, and it isn't like you had to come along this time."

The only reply was rolled eyes before C.C. wandered over to a window, watching the moonlit waters passing beneath. _Not that I don't understand the sentiment, I'm a little wary of this thing myself, even after having watched them float around Tokyo for a few days._ Shrugging, she closed her eyes, content to relax as long as she could before things truly began.

Her eyes flashed open as activity suddenly erupted on the bridge. She would have been amused that she was able to sneak in even a short nap had it not been during such a crucial time. One of the bridge techs called out that a radar pulse had spiked past detection levels and that the Ikaruga was now taking LADAR hits.

"How far out are we Captain Yoshida?"

"Twenty klicks, Zero." He responded quickly, before turning to await her decision to switch to an alternative plan or carry on.

Lelou frowned in thought, wishful thinking about how she could use more information passed through her mind only to be pushed away just as quickly. _You're only mortal, not some goddess to know the future, Lelou. Get it together._

She nodded, making her decision. "Contingency C, Captain." His eyes lit up with excitement as if she'd just given him a wonderful toy to play with.

"You got it, Zero." His voice rose as he addressed the bridge crew. "You heard Zero! Contingency C, drop us down to fifty meters and take us in, flank speed. Commence EW, and bring up the Radiant Wave Shielding. Tactical, prep weapons, launch when we hit the 10 kilometer mark."

The inertia compensation systems that came along with the float system were something special. Even though the Ikaruga responded eagerly to the acceleration, pushing her maximum 300 km/hr in just 1.6 seconds after the helmsman touched the throttle, the crew inside should have been subject to four g's to toss them to the floor send loose items flying and so on. There was little more than a simple shudder in actuality though, a barely perceptible shift as the Ikaruga descended and surged forward.

Reports were flashing in, jamming coming online, Britannian radar falling well below detection thresholds, LADAR beams struggling to maintain lock on the battleship through the dive from 500 meters. The tactical officer had a wide grin on his face as his fingers finally stopped flashing over his console to remain steady, one hand poised over a red button, cover already removed with the missile launch point being a mere 30 seconds away with the kilometers covered in the time it took to target the anti-aircraft positions.

_I am prepared for what this escalation will bring. This war has been long coming, and longer needed._ _Now we see how long it takes for us to shatter Britannian confidence, to topple them from within, or for them to grind us into dust. Father will never give in, but if we can free the Areas, he will have trouble sustaining the war against something the size of what the UFN would then_ _become_ _._

She closed her eyes, banishing thoughts of the future as the button was pressed, watching the tactical display as icons erupted from the Ikaruga, vibrations carrying through the battleship as forty missiles shot towards the island, the sea glowing orange with the rocket flames. The Guren and the Lancelot emerged after, taking positions on the Ikaruga's flanks, holding steady with the vessel's charge towards the harbor.

"Two minutes to Pearl Harbor, charge the Radiant Wave Surgers." Inoue nodded at the tactical officer's command.

_Even now, it hurts knowing how much blood is about to be shed at my orders. I wonder, had I not been born a vi Britannia, would I have been able to have a normal life? I should be in school, chatting idly with friends, worrying about what university I would go to, or what job I wanted. Not here, not with the blood of hundreds on my hands, with that number about to rise, likely by a few thousand if this attack is as successful as it should be._

Thirty seven seconds after the missile launch the tactical officer called out, reporting five seconds to impact.

_Life is fleeting though. Wars would have inevitably destroyed lives even without my help, and probably for a less important reason. Those who die are those deceived by the enemy, or pleased with the status quo, or those willing to give their lives that others might gain the freedoms that are now enjoyed in Japan and the UFN._

The night sky flashed as fireballs erupted, the Ikaruga's missiles raining down on the Britannian positions. Metal and electronics, some of the most advanced alloys and technology brought together to form the best weaponry available to mankind, and their operators flashed out of existence. They did not go idly though, more than a few of them having gained enough of a lock on the Black Knight's vessel to launch missiles in retaliation.

83 missiles homed in on the Ikaruga. Most of them were better suited to attacking aircraft or knightmares, but the sheer number of them meant that it would be all too easy for a few of them to strike something vital, such as a float unit or a shield generator. Suzaku and Kallen moved forward, their fire slashing the approaching missile's numbers, which were further diminished by the Ikaruga's point defense, only seven of them surviving to impact. Lelou's face remained steady even as the vessel shook beneath her, the shield generator's capacitors draining rapidly. The last missile was heavier than most, it's warhead carrying nearly a hundred kilos of high explosives burst against the now weakened shielding, leaving one of the generators smoking as it was overloaded by the strain.

_That is just rationalizing your own crimes though, all life is sacred, even those who deny freedom to 'the masses' have the right to live which I have denied them, and will do so again when it proves necessary._

The Britannian fleet was trying to sortie, the warships searchlights blazing brightly, stabbing blindly skyward as they sought the target that had been reported. Transports were blacked out, desperately attempting to remain hidden, their cargo of men and materiel far too valuable to risk; and yet it was useless, the harbor was too well lit. Time was too short as the Ikaruga appeared, emerging from the night directly into the searchlight's beams, smoke trailed from her starboard a flaming hole in her side where one of the seven 30 cm gun turrets had been. The silver crest at her nose flashed brilliantly.

_You may be evil, but you are a necessary one. The good cannot - could not - do what is necessary to_ _change the world. And so you bloody your hands for them, so that they may continue to be good, so that they remain worthy of protecting the world that you will enable them to create._

"Fire the RWS! All guns, fire at will!" Yoshida's command was greeted with an almost feral rumble of approval as the command was repeated, the tactical officer's finger coming down on another button, just before twin shimmering red beams slashed forth.

The harbor had been noisy, the work to prepare the fleet going on 24 hours a day. It had grown even noisier as alarms wailed when the Ikaruga had been detected, and still louder yet when the thunder of missiles had rained down around it, hammering its defenses. Now, it seemed almost deathly silent as the airship slashed over the harbor, even with the booms of the Ikaruga's guns slamming shells into every available target in the short time they had. And then it erupted, time seeming to flow once more, sea water flashing to steam before seven of thirteen massive transports exploded.

_Cornelia, Schneizel, Father, to borrow the words attributed to one long dead, 'Here I stand, I can do no other.' You may try to stand in the way of changing the world to what it should be, and I will bring the weight of the coming world down upon you and see you destroyed before I allow you to stop it._

"Two contacts, bearing 15 degrees, coming in fast, computer says they're knightmares, but aren't recognizing them."

Lelou frowned at Inoue's report. She'd been ready for flight-capable knightmares, but hadn't actually believed they'd show up. "Send the Lancelot and Guren to engage, but tell them to stay close."

She didn't wait for a response, or even acknowledgment, turning her attention to the vastly more detailed tactical map that the Ikaruga's computers had put together with the quick pass over of the harbor. Nearly twenty cruisers of various sizes had been docked in the harbor along with the thirteen transports and a few supply ships. The surges had slashed six of the transports in half, the subsequent explosions only hastening their end; the seventh had been on its way down with twin holes in its armored hull that trucks could have been driven through.

Alarms rang as shouts drew Lelou's attention back from contemplating the damage they'd dealt. She caught the latter half of chatter from Suzaku about how one of the targets had transformed to a fighter, accelerating close to mach one as it twisted around him. And then it was bearing down on the Ikaruga, opening fire with a VARIS style weapon. The resulting jolt nearly threw Lelou from her seat, causing her to blink in astonishment as Yoshida somehow managed to keep his footing despite a cut on his forehead where he'd impacted one of the consoles.

Concentrated fire from the Ikaruga's point defense weapons caused the blue and gold machine to break off its run before transforming back into a knightmare to block a swing from the Lancelot's MVS with a scythe. The force of the blow was enough to push the variable knightmare back, prompting a cocky voice to call out on an open channel. "Woah, the Lancelot's been upgraded beneath that new coat of paint, hasn't it?"

That drew Lelou's attention yet again, a Britannian pilot so undisciplined, or so arrogant as to chat during the middle of battle wasn't something terribly common. That was unusual, particularly given the fact that he had a custom knightmare. She opened a channel to Suzaku, even as he was locked in the midst of battle with the Britannian. "Speak with him, Suzaku. Try to get what information you can."

Yoshida approached, preventing Lelou from paying attention to the conversation going on between the pilots locked in battle. "Zero, we've lost one of our float units, our top speed is down to 270 km/hr. I think we can still manage to stick to the original plan, but I'd recommend falling back now. Even Kallen is having trouble with that other knightmare." He paused breaking off to wave at the display images showing the massive armored knightmare easily shaking off everything that Kallen was throwing at it, not even the radiant wave surger did more than warp its armor. "We've done more damage to the fleet than some of our more pessimistic estimates as it is already, and I don't want to risk the Ikaruga against these knightmares. They've mounted what seems to be a mini Hadron cannon on that one, and the other is keeping up with the Lancelot."

She frowned in thought trying to hurry through her thought processes, time hardly being in abundance. _We've done a lot of damage, and more than most think even. Only I know that those transports we destroyed were two days away from departure, most of them were already loaded with soldiers even. The invasion force is crippled, but is this complete enough of a victory?_ Lelou nodded. _It is._

"Set course for Tokyo, we've done enough. Get Suzaku and Kallen back aboard; we're finished here."

_**Friday February 8, 2018 a.t.b. 2100 hrs UFN, Republic of Japan, Tokyo** _

_One hour prior to the attack..._

Kaguya's hands shook as she gazed across her desk towards her guest. She clasped them together in an effort to control them. "You're certain?"

The maid nodded; her face unreadable. Blood soaked through a bandage wrapped around her forehead, and one arm hung in a sling. Her outfit was tattered and torn, burn marks and holes obvious. "Yes. The entire villa is... gone. I failed, and I couldn't even make up for it by..."

The prime minister's eyes hardened at that. "Don't. I can't imagine anyone who was better suited for the job, and if you failed, anyone else would have too."

Sayoko's good hand clenched hard as her head fell, tears falling into her lap. "She trusted me, Sumeragi-sama. She trusted me with something more important than her own life. I... I failed them both, and now Nunnally... is gone."

Kaguya blinked back tears of her own as she spoke, her voice as hard as it had ever been. "Are you certain she is dead? Are you certain she was in the villa?"

The only response was a nod.

"Sayoko! Are you certain? Could she not have been taken beforehand?"

The maid looked up, tears rolling down her cheeks. "No, I found her... in the wreckage."

That caused Kaguya to jerk as if she'd been slapped. She fell silent, turning in her seat to gaze out at the city, lights glimmering in the darkness for a few moments. "We can't tell her. We need her mind on the mission at hand. Leave this to me, go to the hospital Sayoko. Make sure you've been completely patched up."

Sayoko nodded, shaking slightly as she stood. Kaguya didn't like the shadows in her eyes though.

"And Sayoko, don't even consider taking the easy way out. You are a Black Knight, and you serve Lelou. Don't you dare take your own life rather than face her and tell the story to her yourself when the time comes."

The maid winced, clearly the thought had been on her mind, but she nodded before leaving.

_Why is it that the world does its best to destroy the best amongst us? Or is that what makes them who they are? The world has taken so much from you, and yet you still gave of yourself. Now... Now what will you do?_


	25. Chapter 25

_****Friday February 8, 2018 a.t.b. 0335 hrs, Britannian Airspace over Oahu, Area 7** ** _

Kallen grunted with the sensation of several times her own weight pressing her down into the seat, only for it to turn abruptly to one of weightlessness as she cut power to the wings, letting the Guren fall back under the sway of gravity as a beam punched through the space that she would have been in. Her stomach roiled, revolting against the maneuvers.

 _Better discomfort than death though, what the hell is with that machine?_ She snarled as she sent the Guren hurtling forward, the gee-forces returning without mercy as she twisted and rolled, avoiding missiles and the hadron beams that seemed far too powerful to have been mounted upon a knightmare.

The Black Knight Captain twisted her machine around a final shot, and reached out with the Guren's right hand. She grinned as she thumbed the firing button, the surger's emitter a mere meter from the enemy machine's hadron cannon. A shield appeared a moment too late, the initial pulse reaching the cannon which promptly overloaded and exploded, smoke and flames curling behind the green shield.

 _Now what? Most pilots would probably fall back at this point, but this is a Knight of the Round. They might fall back because it's logical, or they might try one last attack..._ She smiled as the shield dropped, the golden crest and violet hued armor of the Round's machine surging forward. _A pity this won't work twice, I'll need to come up with a way to actually beat this machine after this._

She concentrated hard, utilizing the neural interface to it's fullest, giving her unheard of reaction speeds, as if she'd had an extra two pairs of hands to manipulate the Guren's controls. The right arm retracted, drawing back the radiant wave surger and simultaneously loading the final capacitor cartridge for it. The left came up with the dagger, using it as a shield to take the enemy's armored shoulder. Kallen twisted to the right, maintaining her altitude even as she slashed down at the shoulder joint with one of the energy wings, the blades being able to slice through the lighter armor to cut power running to the arm, rendering it useless. Completing the motion was a vertical 90 degree shift in which she planted the Guren's feet upon the enemy's chest, and used it to kick off before she launched herself forward with several gees of acceleration after the Ikaruga.

Kallen let out a sigh of relief as the violet machine finally held back, deciding not to pursue. She glanced around, and found Suzaku making a beeline for the Ikaruga as well, his opponent looking a little less damaged, only missing half of the double scythe as he floated over to his comrade to help it back to Oahu's shores.

Even so, she didn't relax her guard until she landed safely back in the Ikaruga's hangar. _Rounds are tougher than I thought they'd be._

A reply to her thoughts caused her to look up in confusion, only to realize a moment later that she must have voiced it aloud. "Of course they are. While there are a number of nobles amongst their ranks, becoming a Knight of the Round is one of the few things where family influence means nothing. Only the best pilots are accepted, commoner or noble, as long as they are Britannian. I'm glad to see you're alright, Kallen. Go ahead and stow the Guren, we aren't in any danger of being pursued, and we'll be dropping off their sensors shortly anyways. Get some rest, you've earned it."

Even now, Kallen felt the pride bubbling up in her chest just the same as she had before she'd known exactly who Zero was. It made no difference to her that the one praising her was a girl her own age, or that mysterious masked man who did the impossible. No, Lelou seemed even greater now, showing the world that an 18 year old girl could move nations, and destroy foes seemingly so much greater than she.

 _And maybe now she won't have to fight just to retain control of the UFN's armed forces._ That thought brought a frown to her lips as the pressure differential sent air hissing out as the Guren's hatch opened. _That she should have to work to maintain control over the Black Knights... So many still think that they'll be able to manipulate her even after all that she's shown that she can do._ She gave a little derisive snort at the next thought. _Or they think that she's just been a pawn of Tohdoh or some other suitably masculine individual and owes her success entirely to their patronage._

_Well, I'll be happy to teach them the errors of their ways when one of them finally pushes her too far. If she even ends up needing to bring the weight of the Black Knights to bear on such a fool._

Kallen lifted her arms as the hatch finally gave her enough room to do so, and arched her back, groaning happily as she stretched, her back finally popping as it had needed to for a while. She glanced around, seeing the hangar was empty almost completely except for her and Suzaku, who was dismounting the Lancelot.

_Most of them are probably out fixing the damage we took, I guess I should probably go see if there's anywhere I can help out too._

**Friday February 8, 2018 a.t.b. 0720 hrs, BKS Ikaruga, Pacific Ocean**

"How bad were our losses?"

Inoue looked down at a pad that she'd been taking notes on, finding the answer that Lelou was looking for. "Five dead, three wounded. We lost the entire crew for the number two gun, and we had some burns when the shield generator overloaded. Four percent casualties, not bad at all when placed against the amount of damage we inflicted. Assuming even just three of those transports were carrying Knightmares, we've just demolished half of the forces available to retake Japan. Which means that what the Black Knights have stationed in Japan now are capable of holding out against any invasion for at least the next two months."

Lelou raised an eyebrow at that. "Taking the pessimistic estimate, Major?"

"Better to prepare for the worst and hope for the best than find your country suffering the consequences of your lack of preparedness."

The Black Knight's leader chuckled at that. "Excellent work, and a job well done to all aboard the Ikaruga as well, I expect that I'll be able to arrange as least a week's worth of leave once we're back in Tokyo. You've earned it."

A majority of those within earshot seemed quite pleased by the statement, grins sprouting like weeds on all but the most disciplined of faces, though even the Major seemed to have trouble keeping her lips from quirking up.

She returned the smiles as she stood, vacating the command chair. "Well then, now that the plan has gone well, I'll leave you all to your work and return to simply being a passenger. Make sure we get back to Tokyo alive if you want that week of leave." She smiled brightly before she came to attention, saluting as sharply as one could. "We've come a long way in such a short time. From a nameless resistance group on your part, and a former Britannian schoolgirl, to the Black Knights – sword and shield of the Federation – and its leader. Give us a little more time, and we'll bring Britannia to its knees. We've struck our first blow outside of our borders, the first of many. And we won't stop until the old order is destroyed. We fight for the future, there is no greater charge than that, and so we will not – cannot – be defeated in the end." She nodded, dropping her hand back to her side before exiting the bridge with C.C. in tow.

Neither spoke until they were safely back in Lelou's cabin. Which was probably for the best given the comment that C.C. had been holding in. "Laying it on a little thick there, don't you think?"

Lelou chuckled mirthlessly. "Perhaps, but when leaving words that someone will remember, it's far better to make them suitably dramatic than leave that work to those that follow. Besides, that's tame compared to some of what I considered doing as Zero. Let my enemies think of me as an idealist who has strokes of luck, only those who know me won't be surprised when I find myself forced to be ruthless. And those who are surprised? Well, they likely won't survive the experience."

"And they call me a witch..."

"You are one, don't deny it. After all, it's not as if you've told me what I owe you in return for the power that you gave me that enabled me to work towards my goals years ahead of schedule. Don't worry though, even if you want my soul at the end of all this, it is yours."

C.C. only chuckled at that. "Well then, we shall have no trouble when the time comes I see."

**Friday February 15, 2018 a.t.b. 0540 hrs, Black Skyfleet Headquarters, Tokyo**

The terminal was quiet, the rays of the rising sun shining into the still rather luxurious building. It had formerly been a private airport for the more elite members of Clovis' court, but it had since been claimed by the emerging Skyfleet as it's first base and headquarters. Much of the superfluous trappings had been removed and sold or destroyed, but enough remained to make it one of the more comfortable postings within the Black Knights. Normally it would have been buzzing with activity, but at the orders of Sumeragi, the terminal that served the Ikaruga was abandoned save for the party that would be meeting with Lelou.

Cecile stood rigidly at attention. _This... is not going to be good._ She glanced to her left, feeling the urge to hit Lloyd harder than she ever had. He had simply shrugged after learning of Nunnally's death, although he'd seemed to have brightened a little at the thought of what sort of possibilities there would be for Lelou's reaction. Particularly given the fact that it would be his toys that deliver whatever retribution the girl would seek.

Sumeragi had informed them together, understanding that the two of them had worked quite closely with Lelou in recent days, and Lloyd had been acquainted with Marianne. Although Cecile had apparently been included mostly because the Chairwoman knew that Cecile was the keeper of Lloyd's conscience; or at least would function as such by beating him into acting as he should.

He'd been a little easier to lead on than he usually was in terms of appearances, although Cecile could tell that his heart had only really been in it after she promised that she'd allow field testing on new weapons ideas if Lelou requested the use of the Guren or the Lancelot in the coming days. Still though, she seethed at his... unique ability to remain uncaring at the death of his first patron's younger daughter, and his current patron's little sister.

Add to that that, Nunnally had been his 'niece.' He seemed to handle his relationship surprisingly well with Lelou, even if he was still difficult. He was doing an alright job of appearing suitably sympathetic, though the death glares she'd been sending his way likely had something to do with that, but at least she could pretend that it might be because he felt something. Given that the same glare rarely kept him on his best behavior.

Cecile blinked quickly, bringing herself out of her reverie as she glanced once more around the dock. _This should have been a grand event, the return of the Ikaruga, pride of the Black Skyfleet! Who, with the aid of Lelou, and her valiant Black Knight crew, demolished the invasion fleet that was set to come bearing down on us any day._

 _And now? Now it's as quiet as a tomb, and only a few people are here to welcome the heroes back._ She sighed mentally. _No... only a few people are here; and only to deliver the news to Lelou. The welcoming will have to wait for the parties this evening, but I doubt Lelou will be in attendance, despite political necessity._

It it had been possible, she would have gone even more rigid when the Ikaruga came into view as it maneuvered to land. The hole in her flank where a 30 cm gun mount had been drew most of her attention, even though the rest of the vessel seemed completely unharmed. _A power failure... or perhaps just that destructive of a blast. Either way, for attacking a major fleet base alone, she's in remarkably good condition._

The Prime Minister stepped forward, along with a bandaged woman wearing a maid outfit of all things. _I've seen her before, at the school. She must have been Nunnally's caretaker then._ They stood silently, two meters from the door the one they'd come to see would soon appear from.

Cecile watched silently as the Ikaruga landed gently, still feeling the anger of the scientist next to her. She was glad that the target of his fury was far removed from her own being; were it not for the fact that that target had so thoroughly earned whatever plot Lloyd was designing, she might have even pitied them.

The door finally slid open, revealing the uniformed figures of Lelou, C.C., Suzaku, and Kallen. Lelou's eyes lingered on the Prime Minister and Sayoko before they quickly scanned the rest of the room, noting everyone present before she stepped forward, eyes narrowing on the maid's obvious injuries.

"I was wondering why you asked that only I come down." While her words and tone were calm, her mask slipped. Her eyes spoke volumes, violet tinged with worry and fear. "Sayoko, where is Nunnally?"

The maid stepped forward, "L-Lelou-sama, I..."

Cecile sympathized with the woman, between what it must have been like to see what happened to the girl she'd been caring for, being injured herself, and then whatever must have happened in the aftermath of it all the maid must be a complete wreck. _Not to mention now being faced with delivering the news to that girl's sister. Who, despite all the good that she's done, clearly took what lessons she'd learned from her father and elder siblings quite seriously._

_She fights the Empire with an empire of her own, one that people don't even realize that she's built. I wonder if that will remain true after this..._

Sayoko dropped to her knees, prostrating herself, bandaged forehead planted on the floor before Lelou's feet. Eyes glistening, Lelou looked down at the maid, one hand coming up to her mouth as the fear spread from her eyes to the rest of her face.

"Sayoko... Where is Nunnally?"

The three who had disembarked from the Ikaruga with her stood frozen at the scene before them, obviously pulling the pieces together, given the expression present on the two Captains' faces. The Colonel's usual little smile faded as her eyes flicked to Lelou, but she gave no other reaction.

"I have failed you, Lelou-sama. My duty, my oath, all of it. My life is yours to take. Nunnally... Your sister... is dead."

Lelou's eyes closed at the final word, a silent tear rolling down pale flesh. She stood, silent for a moment before she opened her eyes, quickly blinking, taking a deep breath as she lowered her hand back to her side. Cecile knew the teen's reformed composure was nothing more than an act, but it was a good one. Had she not gotten to know the former princess as well as she now did, she might have even been fooled into thinking that the girl thought little of her sibling's death.

"How?" _Her voice would have crushed that thought... That's a voice devoid of all emotion._

"It was my mistake. A perimeter alarm was tripped, and I went out to investigate, and saw nothing. I returned to my duties, and when another alarm triggered, I rushed there. It was a trick. They wanted me away from the house while they set a bomb which detonated as I was returning once more. The entire villa was destroyed. We-" The already muffled voice of the maid paused as she visibly choked back a sob. "We found her in the wreckage, I was told she wouldn't have felt a thing."

Lelou knelt down, pulling Sayoko upright. She wrapped her arms around the maid who had served her so well for so many years. "Thank you, Sayoko. For telling me personally, for everything that you've done for me and Nunnally. Now, go back to the hospital. I need you to get better, and quickly, we're going to hunt the animals that did this. And I plan on making certain that they understand exactly what they've accomplished with this."

Cecile shuddered at the frost-bitten tone she finished in, hearing the promise laying beneath. Sumeragi stepped forward, helping Lelou gently pull the maid upright before she gave the taller woman a tight embrace looking up at her.

"I promise you, everything that lay in my power to help capture the fiend that did this, both I, and Japan stand with you, we will bring them to justice."

Lelou turned her head to the diminutive Prime Minister before her lips twisted in a tiny smile that implied no happiness. "Thank you, Prime Minister, but that won't be necessary. Justice will have nothing to do with this; this is about vengeance, and I shall deal it out as I see fit." She held up a hand as the girl backed away, her mouth opening to speak. "Do not worry, I will ensure that this country, and all of the UFN is properly defended as my Knights have been contracted. I have a report to write, I'll see to it that it is delivered to you by the afternoon."

Without another word, or waiting for any reply from Kaguya, she turned, returning back aboard the Ikaruga, followed more slowly by those who'd disembarked with her. She grabbed Lloyd's shoulder, pulling him along as she went after Lelou. _We will help however she needs in whatever it is she decides to do._ _Lloyd, thankfully, managed to keep his mouth shut, save for when they caught up to Lelou, where he began to describe several new weapons ideas._

_Lelou's interest in them surprised her._ __Although maybe she's just trying to keep her mind busy with something other than thinking about Nunnally..._ _

**Monday March 11, 2018 a.t.b. 1745 hrs, Prime Minister and UFN Chairwoman Sumeragi's Office**

Kaguya glanced up from her paperwork as one of her aides barged through the door. "Sumeragi-sama! The... Britannian Prime Minister... He's called, he wishes to speak with you."

She blinked, one eyebrow raising at the aide. As she reached for the console to activate her comm, she half expected it to be a joke despite the deadly serious expression on the woman's face. She held her expression as neutral as possible as his image appeared on the screen ahead of her, and resisted the urge to twitch as an unmistakable voice gave her a greeting in Britannian-accented Japanese.

"Lady Sumeragi, it's a pleasure to speak with you finally." Schneizel el Britannia switched to English as he seemed to have exhausted his knowledge on Japanese language. "Forgive my rudeness in speaking English, I'm told you are quite fluent, whereas I am not in your native tongue. If you prefer Japanese, I have a translator available, though for the purposes of this conversation, I'd hoped that we might speak without intermediaries."

She took a deep breath, remaining silent perhaps a moment longer than she should have. He gave no sign of annoyance however. _Not that he would. He's the real head of the Empire, even if his father is the one that seems to dictate its expansionism._

"Your Highness." Her tone was neutral, and she would have sworn she saw a flash of approval in his canny eyes. "I admit I wasn't expecting a call from you so early. It seems that Lelou understated the damage she dealt in her strike against your forces in Hawaii. I'm afraid that the UFN would have to deliberate on accepting your surrender however, I may be the Chairwoman of the Supreme Council but I do not have the authority to accept such an offer without approval from Parliament and the rest of the Council."

Her attempt at humor might have angered any other politician, but the Prince only laughed. "I'm afraid you mistake the purpose of this call, my lady. While I admit my little sister has certainly won the first rounds of our little game, it is far from over. I am calling in regards to her however. I must ask you to control her. Fighting unconventionally, I fully expect out of her and the armed forces she commands. What is unacceptable however, are her deliberate assassinations."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about, Your Highness. Unless you're referring to the singular instance with the late Viceroy Clovis, a time we make no apology, nor will we ever, since I would have gladly shot the animal myself."

Schneizel's gaze fell from hers for a moment at the mention of Clovis. "My little brother... He made mistakes, yes. But he did try to be a good, or at least more gentle governor than many viceroys end up. His death, while regrettable in my mind, is not what I'm referring to. And either you're a better liar than I believe anyone capable of being, or Lelou hasn't informed you."

He paused at that, and as much as she trusted Lelou, she couldn't help but feel her eyes narrowing at the possible implications of his words. "Tell me then, Your Highness. What has the commander of the Black Knights done that has prompted you to call the head of an enemy's government?"

His voice hardened slightly as he detailed for her. "In the past month, I have buried no less than twelve members of the Royal Family." His expression darkened with anger as he caught the flash of first surprise, and then what must have been understanding. "Ah, so you do know something?" He shook his head quickly at what he considered a rhetorical question. "Not that it matters. Control her. Conventional, and unconventional warfare is one thing, but murdering members of the Imperial family, even those not in militarily relevant positions goes much too far. I promise you this, retribution will come for any more assassinations."

Kaguya leaned back in her chair, her eyes gazing into his. _So this is what she meant by making it a private affair. I shouldn't have been surprised by this, I've got spies of my own, so why haven't they heard anything about what Lelou was up to?_

"As a head of government, I will endeavor to make sure that your warning is delivered to her." He nodded, his mouth opening to speak before she cut him off, her expression turning dark. "However. As her friend, while I personally might hate what she's apparently done, I can't help but find it an appropriate sort of retribution for what was done to her." She gave a harsh laugh as he raised an eyebrow questioningly. "As if I could believe that you were not aware of, or perhaps even involved in the ordering of Nunnally's death."

His gaze narrowed as he gave her what was probably the most intense stare that she had ever received, even after dealing with other members of the UFN's Supreme Council and Parliament, many of whom were not pleased that a young girl was in the position she found herself in. "Nunnally is dead? How?" His tone surprised her. He didn't seem like a politician at that moment, instead he sounded more like an older brother who'd just learned of his little sister's death.

This caused Kaguya to blink; could it be that Schneizel truly did not know? Narrowing her eyes slightly, she decided to play it safe and assume the second prince was simply putting up an act.

"It was a bomb. The same day that Lelou attacked Cornelia's invasion fleet. Not that I'm sure someone in Britannia doesn't have more details on how it was done. Clearly your father cares little for his children, but evidently he understands how to stop the rebellious ones even less. I'll deliver your warning to her, but know this. I don't believe that your words, or my own will stop her. Nunnally was everything to her. I believe she even started this war because of Nunnally. Lelou didn't fight for Japan. She fought for a better world for her little sister." Kaguya paused, shaking her head. "Now? Now I think she's just looking for revenge. And I'm not sure if she'll stop until anyone even slightly connected to her sister's death lies dead by her hand."

She gave Schneizel a grim smile before she finished. "And to be honest? I don't think I'd do anything different in her position. So, your warning is noted, your Highness. I look forward to the day when you do call with that offer of surrender. Good day."

She didn't wait for a reply before she terminated the connection. _Now to call Lelou... this should prove... interesting._

**Monday March 11, 2018 a.t.b. 1922 hrs Tokyo Standard (1322 hrs local), BKS Valkyrie, 30 km south of Al Basrah, Area 18.**

Kallen frowned as she listened to the conversation going on between Lelou and the Chairwoman of the Supreme Council. It wasn't quite a shouting match, though it was easy to hear that Sumeragi's temper was fraying.

"Zero," Kallen chuckled quietly at that, hardly anyone from the upper echelons of the UFN's government or the Black Knights called Lelou that anymore, with the exception of an angered Sumeragi perhaps, "It's one thing for it to take a few minutes for me to get a hold of the commander in chief of the Black Knights, but it's quite another for it to take nearly two hours. I find myself coming to learn of activities that you have participated in from a most unlikely source, and I'd like to hear exactly what you've been up to in recent weeks."

Lelou simply cocked her head to the side, seemingly not caring that the entire bridge crew would be able to overhear her discussions. _Then again, she probably doesn't mind at all. We're all volunteers, and with the modifications that Rakshata made, having so much of the ship computer controlled there are only a few people to overhear anyways._

"My apologies, Chairwoman Sumeragi, I appear to have been lax in forwarding after-action reports to your office. You'll find that I petitioned for and received permission from the Parliamentary Defense Council to operate outside UFN territory in limited offensive strikes to preempt any attack upon UFN territory. I'm certain that they would be more than willing to provide you with the reports and approval of my list of targets. I'm afraid I won't be able to elaborate them through a potentially unsecured channel. In fact, I'm afraid we're going to have to keep this conversation short. May I ask what concerns you have, and why you're troubled that you're only just now hearing about actions I'm taking to ensure the safety and security of the UFN and her citizens?"

That brought a small smile to Kallen's lips as she took a seat at one of the unmanned consoles, turning the chair to glance back at Lelou in the Captain's seat. _While I'm not sure I like the way that she's avoiding answering the question, I can't really bring myself to dislike what she's doing. Even if it is specifically targeting members of the Imperial Family. It's not as if we haven't destroyed Britannian war making capability in the process of killing these targets, and more than a few of them have been Britannian officers, or at least government officials._

Sumeragi's tone was cold, colder than Kallen had ever heard her use with Lelou, and although she couldn't see the girl's expression, she imagined it would be quite dark. "The Britannian Prime Minister requested that I rein you in, Lelou. Something about you murdering a dozen of your siblings. Surely you don't think such a thing would go unnoticed, even if it's been kept from the Britannian press. Prince Schneizel has informed me that if you continue assassinating royals, you and by extension the UFN, will regret it."

Lelou remained silent for a moment. "Kaguya. There will be no coexistence between the Empire and the UFN. The Imperial Family is the Empire, both in terms of control, and even in the eyes of Britannian subjects. They lead Britannian armed forces, they sponsor and even own vast swathes of the Empire's industrial base, education, law enforcement, infrastructure; all fall under the purview of one royal or another be it directly or through some puffed up noble whose patron is a royal! The death of the Empire comes with the destruction of the Imperial Family. It is merely unfortunate that they are so often found near strategic targets, which are all that I have been striking at in an effort to prevent any actions against us, as well as support the EU against the onslaught that is crashing down upon them. We fight not for a country, Kaguya. We fight for our ideals. Any sacrifice endured in the pursuit of the triumph of what the UFN stands for, not what it is, is both worthy, and necessary."

Kaguya remained quiet for a moment. "And I'm supposed to believe that there isn't the added element of revenge, then? Do not lie to me, Lelou vi Britannia. Lelou Lamperouge. Zero. I will not let you risk all that we have done because of Nunnally's death! You tell me that any sacrifice is both worthy and necessary? Then she was yours. You will return to the UFN, and you will request my permission for any further ventures before you risk whatever retribution that your brother would bring down upon my people for your pursuit of vengeance! Am I clear?"

Kallen's eyes narrowed at Sumeragi's tirade. It wasn't as if she couldn't understand what the girl was getting at, but she also understood perfectly Lelou's position. _I'm still in this for my own vengeance as well. Japan may be free, but Britannia hasn't been destroyed yet. And she isn't wrong about the Royals being Britannia, that's obvious enough even without having experienced life amongst the nobility._

"I'm afraid I must end this transmission, Lady Sumeragi. I will contact you again when we are back within UFN airspace." Somehow, Lelou managed to hold in the anger that she had to be feeling at the use of her words, and her sister, against her. "Distance to Baghdad?"

Kallen glanced over at Suzaku, who appeared to have taken up the navigator's position despite being a pilot of the only other Knightmare aboard save for her Guren. "470 kilometers, Lelou."

"Good, Cecile, keep us hidden until we're within a hundred kilometers, Lloyd, I want weapons prepped. We're going to wipe the Viceroy's palace from existence, and then high tail it back to the Gulf. Kallen, Suzaku, you're going to screen us on the way in, same as we have for all the other raids. Be ready to launch when we hit the 200 kilometer mark. They might be on heightened alerts, but I doubt they'll be expecting us here after we've been focusing so heavily on targets in Europe. Be ready for anything though. Once we've killed the viceroy, I expect that remnants of the MEF's armed forces will make themselves known and force Britannia to draw forces from Europe or the Americas, either of which will help us, as well as giving the UFN potential to provide aid to a new ally or new member state depending upon how Parliament and the Council decide to go about it."

_That's the true genius she shows, even if she hadn't brought along only those of us who would be more or less willing to target royals, she's been going about killing them in a way that makes it as much strategic as personal vengeance. And she picked one hell of a name for her personal battleship. 'Valkyrie'... Well, in a sense, she certainly is turning out to be a 'chooser of the slain.'_

Rising, she gave Lelou a quick salute before heading off the bridge to change out of her uniform and finish the pre-flight check for the Guren. _I wonder just what the fact that I have next to no misgivings about what we're doing says about me. Probably nothing good... But if the few must stain their hands to spare the many from having to do so, then I gladly accept. Even if this is more about revenge to Lelou, her actions are still helping the UFN. And until they don't, I'll continue to follow her._


	26. Chapter 26

_**Sunday, March 17, 2018 a.t.b. 1520 hrs UFN, Republic of Japan, Narita International Airport** _

 

"Aha!" The mad cackling that followed the declaration caused more than a few of the black-uniformed engineers and civilian scientists to cringe. "Oh Cecile-kun! Be ready to petition a renaming of this facility, as it is now time for this to be the Narita International Aerospaceport!"

 

The other members of the R&D teams parted readily for their boss' keeper. While mad cackling was a fairly regular occurrence when dealing with the former Earl, a declaration to rename the airport that their facility was attached to meant that he must have actually been onto something.

 

What she saw was enough to cause her to freeze in shock. The monitor that Lloyd had turned towards the crowd with a triumphant smile showed video feed from the vaccuum chamber. Within was a float generator hovering a steady meter above the chamber floor despite the lack of atmosphere. "Cecile-kun... What's the status of the drones we're developing for ultra high altitude reconnaisance missions?"

 

"Almost complete... One of Rakshata's teams is finalizing the design for their... Oh my. Alter them a little for vaccuum..."

 

Lloyd nodded with a wild grin. "And we'll just put them up in orbit."

 

The implications were stunning, to say the least. The sort of strategic intelligence, and possibly even tactical information that could be gained with an eye in space over a battlefield... She glanced around, noticing the widened eyes of her fellow researchers. Drawing their attention with a loud whistle she called out. "Congratulations, you're all privy to top-secret information. This is to be discussed with no one outside of this room, is that understood?"

 

The nods came fast and quick, the less stoic ones hurrying back to their own projects as Cecile weaved through the crowds and workbenches/desks to Lloyd's side. "I would tell you that you might want to not announce something like that to the entire room. But seeing as I let my own mouth run away with me... I won't bother lecturing you. And for this... I imagine Lelou's liable to buy you as much pudding as you could want for a long time to come."

 

She sighed as he twirled about, obviously pleased with that idea. "Just calm down and just write up what you did, I'll put together a briefing for Lelou and Diethard once you get it to me."

 

He paused for just a moment to pull a flash drive from his computer and hand it to her. "It's all there! Now... I think this deserves three puddings at present..."

 

Cecile just smiled before giving a quick nod. "Have four, you doing something before I ask?" She took the drive before making her way back to her office to investigate exactly how he'd done it. And how she was going to be presenting it to Lelou. Hopefully it wouldn't prove to be too costly of an alteration to the existy Float systems, considering the fact that Lelou was probably going to want to keep this particular capability limited to only within the Black Knights, and finances were becoming strained, even with the generous funding provided by the UFN member nations.

 

_Even so, I imagine Lelou would pay for orbital spies without the slightest hesitation. It'd be worth more than it's weight in liquid sakuradite._

 

 

_**Sunday, March 17, 2018 a.t.b. 2313 hrs Tokyo, Black Skyfleet Headquarters** _

 

Rubbing the eyes that she knew had dark circles beneath, Lelou glanced down once more at the packet Major Croomy had provided before launching into a fairly succinct explanation of what Uncle Lloyd had managed. "I'm not even going to pretend that I understand even half of the technical explanation behind it, much less how he found time to do this after I told him not to waste time modifying the system for space. I'm glad he didn't listen though. You have my approval for this, and I'm confident that Intel will sign off on the changes...?"

 

Diethard nodded without any hesitation at all. "The sort of data that we could get from even just a few of these satellites... I can't even begin to estimate the potential value of them, especially if we manage to keep the enemy from realizing that we have eyes in orbit. Do it, if funding becomes any sort of issue, I'll be able to pull some money from the Intel budget for this."

 

"Good. Diethard, I'll leave this project in your hands for the time being. Keep the details limited to you and any of your immediate subordinates as you see fit. The last thing we need is the Dallas Research Institute to take a closer look at the possibilities for the Float system. On that note," Lelou paused before glancing back at Cecile. "I'd like to to start investigating ways to defeat orbital surveillance, be it ways on the ground, or by dealing with the surveillance platforms directly. Now then, I need to get some sleep, feel free to continue budgeting if you like. Keep up the good work."

 

Lelou waved off the salutes as she hurried out of the conference room, eager to make it to the hanger where her transport awaited. Her journey was thankfully uninterrupted, most of the Black Knights in the passage ways stepping aside quickly to let her pass with nothing more than returned salutes.

 

The hangar was bustling with activity despite the late hour, _Valkyrie_ had come out with only minor damage from Area 18, the worst being a shield generator that had failed not even from combat while over India. The last of the damaged armor plates were being removed and replaced, keeping in line with the estimates she'd been given that it would be ready to sortie the next morning.

 

_And then it's off to Area 12... Once Manila falls, Indochina will be secure and we'll be able to free up the forces that Tohdoh wants to make a push on Area 14... Down through Area 15, and into Area 9... Provided that our intel is correct and they haven't been able to reinforce the south, but after what we did to the invasion force in Area 7... It's unlikely that they'll have anything to spare. Of course if they have reinforced, taking another look at Area 7 would be a good idea... Take it and we have a base to launch an assault on California, or Area 3-_

 

The hand that gripped her shoulder nearly startled a scream from her as she was torn from her thoughts. As she pulled herself away from the contact, she crashed into the wall, head whirling to see an apologetic look and hands raised.

 

"Sorry, Lelou. I didn't mean to startle you, you just weren't answering when I was calling out to you." Suzaku gave a little smile as he scratched the back of his neck before pointing back to the massive black and silver form of the Lancelot, whose bay she'd managed to walk past. "You wanted to head back to the Ashford Academy, right?"

 

"Y-Yeah, sorry. Preparing myself for the meeting with Tohdoh tomorrow while he's back from the Phillippines." She couldn't help but give a little sheepish smile as she explained her distraction. "You've cleared our flight plan with Tokyo Control?"

 

"Yeah, we're ready to go whenever you are. And they're expecting us at the Academy. Although I'm curious why you didn't just want to take a car..."

 

"It's been made clear to me that we aren't entirely secure... and if they're willing to assassinate Nunnally... I have no doubt that they wouldn't pass up a chance at killing me. I doubt they'd be able to get at me while I'm in the cockpit of one of the most advanced Knightmares on the face of the planet... and I have faith in your skills as a pilot."

 

She watched him wince at the mention of Nunnally, seeing the pain in his eyes that she was sure she showed in greater measure. He gave a slight bow as he collected himself, his smile returning, if somewhat diminished. "You honor me with your faith in me. And you may rest assured that I will deliver you safely to the Academy. Are you ready to leave then?"

 

She nodded, following his lead up the stairs, waving off his apology for the cramped space that they'd be sharing that required her to sit in his lap for the journey. "It's not as if it's your fault, and this was designed as a weapon, not for the comfort of any passengers."

 

Thankfully Suzaku seemed content to remain quiet, simply running through the last of his preflight checks.

 

 

Reaching around Lelou to flip the switches to disconnect the Lancelot from the base power supplies, he was surprised to see that her eyes were closed. _Back into her thoughts already, I suppose._

 

Holding back a shrug he turned his attention back to the displays, taking a few steps to clear room for his landspinners before moving down to one of the launch ways at a sedate pace. He wanted to talk to her. To see just how she was doing, but he feared the answer to that question. _It's not unthinkable that she might be on the verge of breaking... And that just trying to see how close to the edge she is might just send her over._

 

He hated it. Entirely too much had been taken from her over the years, and that was at least half the reason that he hadn't spoken up against her vengeful choice of targets for raids over the past month. The rest of it was that even if she was lashing out, seeking vengeance, she was still attacking legitimate targets. The few 'civilian' Royals that had been killed had all been industrial leaders, or researchers involved in military development. And when one really stopped to look at it, it was hard to pick a Royal that any potential enemy _wouldn't_ consider a legitimate target given the structure of the Empire.

 

He winced at the next thought that filtered through his mind. _And harder still to pick one that it would be hard to pull the trigger on. They're almost uniformly pampered scum who don't fail to take advantage of their station in reprehensible ways._

 

Most discomforting of all though, the thought of what would have happened to Lelou had she not gotten away from the Empire. Would she have been killed off by those who hated the fact that she had commoner blood...? _No. Lelou would have survived. And probably become a monster as bad as any of them._

 

Anger flared at the little voice at the back of his head that remembered the Princess that had come to Japan all those years before. The Princess that had been prepared only to survive in the Imperial Court, always scheming, always looking over her shoulder for plots... Until that had been corrected by being surrounded by human beings, not the animals in human form of the Britannian Royals.

 

The anger turned on himself then, for even contemplating the thought of Lelou as a proper Britannian Princess. She was the hero that had managed to rally a nation, and now even the UFN. If the people didn't care that she was killing Royals left and right... Maybe it was the right thing to do. He'd heard the words she'd borrowed from Jefferson... The tyrants' turn had come.

 

He blinked as the radio crackled, the small garrison at the academy sending landing instructions. It had been a quick flight that he could do in his sleep, sure... But to have hardly recognized that he was doing anything at all...

 

Shaking his head, he simply followed the instructions, setting down and pulling the Lancelot into the bay before opening the hatch.

 

He blinked, as Lelou mumbled sleepily. _Not thinking... Sleeping. How long has it been since she's gotten a full night's sleep?_

 

Deciding that the answer to that question was too long, he lifted her up carrying her in his arms as he wandered down the stairs and out of the bay, letting the mechanics do their work without any supervision. Fortunately, given the late hour, few students were out and about, fewer still that looked like they had any interest in stopping Suzaku as he carried the sleeping leader of the Black Knights.

 

The Student Council building was open, even if the wing that held the apartment that Lelou had shared with Nunnally was locked, forcing him to wake Lelou long enough for her to dig a keycard out of a pocket. It was a little surprising to see that she didn't complain at all at being held, or even the jostling as he opened the door.

 

She seemed to be rousing a little as he opened the door to her room, a little surprised by it's spartan lack of decor. He set her down, turning his attention to the few things that stood out. Aside from the bed which looked rather luxurious, the only non-functional items were a few origami cranes, and a picture of her kneeling next to Nunnally's chair, Sayoko standing behind looking down at them with an almost maternal smile.

 

He felt a tear rolling down his cheek, as he looked at the smile on Lelou's face in the picture, one of the few natural showings of expression that she'd likely ever given... And knowing that after the death of her sister, such expressions would become even more rare.

 

He blinked as he felt a presence at his side, watching as a bare slender arm reached out, gently grasping the picture frame as she laid it down on the desk to hide the picture. Suzaku blushed as he turned towards her, seeing that all she wore was her panties.

 

Words caught in his throat, left unsaid as he watched tears of her own being shed, flowing freely down an otherwise emotionless face. _And yet I've never seen anyone so beautiful as her, even when she's like this._

 

His arms wrapped around her of their own accord, pulling her close as he leaned down, pressing his lips to hers. She offered no resistance, only encouragement as her arms reached up, wrapping behind his neck as she returned the kiss with a passionate need. His mind went blank, the next thing he noticed was the feel of her beneath him as he pinned her down upon her bed. Four words from her sealed his fate for the night, all intentions of heading back to the Lancelot and doing some work on it gone as they slipped past her lips.

 

"Stay with me tonight..."

 

Lelou bit back a growl as her phone chirped insistently with the arrival of a priority communication. She struggled a little to extricate herself from the tangle of limbs that were slowly rousing and finally helping as she reached out to grab the blasted device and accept the call before bringing it up to her ear.

 

"Zero here."

 

"Zero, this is the wakeup call you requested, no major developments during the night, and General Tohdoh is reporting that he'll be an hour late. We've rescheduled your meeting with him to 1400 at Skyfleet HQ."

 

"Meeting changed to 1400, message received. I'll be available through this line only until then."

 

"Understood, Zero."

 

Lelou cut the line, tossing the device back onto the nightstand with a bit more animosity than she supposed she should have. It was already 0800, she'd decided that it would be fine to sleep in two hours later than the norm for once. _No... Hardly decided on it, you just recognized that your own exhaustion was negatively affecting your abilities. Something had to be done about it. That's why you're here, you needed to take it easy for a while._

 

"Morning, Lelou." She was in the process of turning towards Suzaku as she found arms sliding around her, pulling her close to him as he snuck a quick kiss in before he nodded over to the communicator. "Nothing going belly up while you take a few hours off?"

 

She shook her head as she snuggled in close. "No, just Tohdoh running a little late. We've got until noon before I want to make it to Skyfleet HQ. Now then... Let's go take a shower and go see our friends... It's been too long since we've gotten away to see them."

 

_**Monday, March 18, 2018 a.t.b. 0900 hrs, Tokyo, Ashford Academy** _

 

"You never call, you never write," Milly raised a hand to her forehead dramatically as she continued, "Oh Lelou, where did I go wrong in raising you? You show up with your man in tow and say you've got a few hours before you're off eloping with him again."

 

"And the fact that we're fighting a war means nothing?" came a rather dry response from the former Vice-President.

 

"Bah! Something like fighting a war is probably an annoying distraction from your eloping at the very worst!"

 

Lelou couldn't help but give a weak chuckle at that. Milly never was much of one for serious talk, and just being around her was already leaving her feeling better than normal. "If there's one thing that I regret, Milly... It's what I've put you all through. I'd still do it again, but know that I never wanted to strain our friendships like this."

 

Rivalz waved that one off as he sprawled in a chair. "Oh don't worry about that, Lelou. You're doing what you think needs to be done... And honestly, I can't disagree with you. Even if life is a bit harder than it used to be with the UFN mobilizing for war, people still seem a lot happier than they used to be here. And besides... With so many students having withdrawn, the workload for the student council has fallen so much that we're able to cover it all with just the three of us!"

 

Shirley shot him a little glare at that, "Not that you're one to work anyways. That's only going to last until the next semester begins, we're going to be swamped with student applications now that we're going to be accepting Japanese and all other UFN transfers."

 

Lelou's smile widened into a grin. "Well, it's good to know that the Academy will still be up and running, I admit, I was a little worried about the effects that our little revolution might have on the school."

 

"Oh, you know Grandfather, Lelou. If he could have gotten away with accepting foreign and even Japanese students, he would have. We're even going to be hiring a few additional teachers who know a... less censored version of the world's history. It's about time we got out from under the tender care of the Imperial Education Ministry." Milly gave a little chuckle at that. "Grandfather was practically dancing when he saw the new flag go up on the news. Ah, and of course he does want me to tell you to be careful..."

 

Her smile darkened into a sad shadow of its former self. "Indeed, if there are better assassins than those that serve the Empire... And if they could get to Nunnally when I had her hidden away better than I did my own identity... They can get to me. Don't worry though. I'm being as cautious as I can without hampering my own efforts. If they manage to kill me despite all that... They'll have been willing to pay a price for my life that I'd be almost flattered by. And how better to keep the UFN united than by giving the country a martyr like myself?"

 

Shirley frowned at that, making her opinion on the matter abundantly clear with a tone far harsher than she was prone to. "Never talk like that. You're our friend, Lelou. The last thing we want to see is a report of your death, no matter how much _good_ it might do for the country. It wouldn't be what Nunnally would want..."

 

Lelou managed to bite back the immediate, and emotional, response that threatened to erupt at that. Still, she wasn't quite able to keep the bitterness from her voice. "What Nunnally would want doesn't matter anymore. She's dead, Shirley. And right now, there is only one thing keeping me from considering myself expendable. Until I get to pull the trigger on the bastard that killed her, and then the person who ordered her death..." She broke off as she realized that she was showing a bloodthirst that was disturbing the others save for Suzaku.

 

Shaking her head, she glanced around the room. "Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I won't ask forgiveness, nor would I expect it from you all. You may still think of me as your friend, and I would like to think that she's still around... But that girl you thought you knew? She isn't me anymore. Nor am I Lelouch vi Britannia, discarded princess, nor just simply Zero. All are a part of who I am, but I am no longer going to hide. My father, my siblings, they shall pay for their crimes, as shall any who harms those under my protection. My Black Knights are the first and last line of defence for the people of this nation, and as their leader, I am forced to become as ruthless as those we fight against. To borrow the phrase bandied in the European Union... 'People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.'

 

"I wish for you, and all the people of the UFN to sleep peaceably, and so I am willing to be 'rough' and to do violence so you do not have to. I have the capability, and the willingness to do it, so I will make the hard calls. This one simply isn't hard. This one is as much for the sake of the citizens as it is personal."

 

Shirley seemed to shrink down at that. "Lelou... you know I didn't mean-"

 

Cutting her off, Lelou nodded. "I know, Shirley. It was a poor joke, and one I shouldn't make. I've just been on edge... well for months really, but worse than ever since Nunnally was killed. She may not be with me anymore, but I still have to be strong for the sake of those who fight with me, for the sake of those we fight to protect. But for now, let's forget about the world outside of the academy. What have I missed in my absence?"

 

Milly raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh wow, you must really be needing some time off if you're asking for gossip..."

 

"Gossip, news, whatever. I'm going to be getting my fill of strategy when I meet with Tohdoh."

 

"Well then, let's see how much we can fit in then!" Milly's exuberant smile was almost enough to make her regret her decision, but she shrugged that thought off quickly.

 

_Everyone needs some time off, and if there's anything as far as possible from defending a nation, it's listening to high school gossip._

 

_**Monday, March 18, 2018 a.t.b., 1500 hrs, Black Skyfleet HQ, Tokyo** _

 

Her finger decended slowly, continuing the tapping that she'd been doing as Tohdoh displayed the offensive he wanted to push down the Pacific islands in Britannian hands. "I like the plan, but..."

 

Tohdoh couldn't keep a little smile from showing. "It's not exactly a Zero-esque move. No immediate decapitation of the enemy's ability to make war. No, this is a strategy that we'd run to reduce the risk of attacks against the UFN while we push across the Pacific to attack the Britannian homeland and the American Areas."

 

Lelou nodded, her lips still in a slight frown as she gazed at the map of the Western Pacific. "I-... Well, yes. I suppose that I don't really like the fact that this campaign won't be decisive, or dramatic." She winced at her last word. "And that's why I require people like you, who can keep me remembering that I'm only human. I don't need dramatic. I need to win. Areas 9, 14, and 15 are lightly defended by Britannian standards, and while the citizenry may not rise up to help us with the conquests, I doubt that we'll have to station large garrisons to deal with any pro-Britannian resistance to UFN control."

 

"Indeed. And if you let me borrow Second Skyfleet, losses should be minimal, and I'd estimate a month and a half for active operations, and another month and a half to finish securing all three Areas. Give another two weeks for regrouping and resupply, and I'd be willing to swing the forces up towards Midway and then on to the rest of Area 7."

 

"Three and a half months... That might be too long. Schneizel has had plenty of time to observe the effectiveness of our Skyfleets, small as they are at the moment. While I'm confident that we'll have the advantage in terms of airships for some time to come, they're going to build up their fleets as fast as possible, and given a weapons platform that versatile... Schneizel's going to be able to do serious damage. I wouldn't put it past him to attack civilian morale either, which is going to make our defensive strategy difficult. I won't simply be able to tell the Council, much less Parliament that I have to sacrifice their territory to the destruction that Schneizel would order. It may come to that in the end, and I'll do what I must, but the people will be howling for my head if they're the ones that are being sacrificed for the sake of the whole."

 

"I'll do what I can to keep pressure off of you by providing victories in the field to wave in front of the people." Tohdoh winced at his choice of words. "They may not understand that some sacrifices are necessary, and we both know how politics can interfere with a military operation."

 

Breaking off with a chuckle he gave her a small smile. "I'm just glad that I've got you above me to fight the political battles here on the homefront."

 

Lelou growled in response to that. "Keep up that attitude and I'll see about giving you a promotion outside of field command."

 

Seeing his smile at having gotten a rise out of her she relented with a smile of her own. "I admit, I was rather fond of direct control in a battle, but the way things are going I simply can't be everywhere I would need to be. What was the lesson you never seemed to get through to me?" Putting a finger to her lips in feigned thought before holding it aloft in front of herself, "Ah yes, delegation. You can have tactical command, or strategic. And I suppose I'll simply have to take the strategic side of things."

 

"Sadly, of course that's also why I'll be refusing any promotions above my current station. I am a tactical commander, I'll leave the strategy in your hands."

 

A shrug followed that with an understanding nod. "I wasn't planning on it, at least not until this war is over and there's no longer a need for me at the helm of the Black Knights. Though, I will still be sounding ideas off of you, Ohgi is coming along well in his strategic senses, but he's still more of an administrator than a commander."

 

Reaching over to shift the display from a view of the Philippines and Indonesia to that of India's western border with Area 18. "I've been reviewing the Operation Plans developed by India's commanders prior to their induction into the Black Knights. I'm considering launching a limited offensive into Area 18 to help draw some pressure off of the European Union. While they've been reluctant to share much information, despite the successes of their Panzer divisions they're simply not going to be able to stand the current pressure that the Empire's putting on them, even with the increased production of Knightmares that they're beginning with the additional sakuradite we're providing them."

 

Tohdoh frowned at the thought of opening a second front, particularly considering the vast inhospitable stretches of land in the former Middle Eastern Federation. "Strategically, it makes sense, but I confess I'm not familiar with the plans. I'd need to review them before I could give a more tactical opinion. Are our forces in India sufficient for such an operation?"

 

Nodding, Lelou highlighted the layout of Black Knight units in India, most focused close to the western border. "India is probably the second most stable region in the UFN at present, after Japan. We're still seeing some minor resistance that are requiring Black Knights to protect industrial and governmental facilities around the UFN, but India's been quiet, and regular police forces will be able to handle any situations that might arise, short of a catastrophic destruction of the forces that will be moving forward. But that's why it's going to be a limited offensive, we just want to lighten the load on the EU, draw some Britannian forces from Europe down into the Middle East."

 

Tohdoh looked thoughtful as he altered the view to look at the battlefront between the EU and Britannia, centered on Istanbul as EU forces were fighting hard to keep the Imperial tide from pushing any further into EU territory along the Dardanelles or the Bosphorus. "Your take on the consequences of not pursuing this operation?"

 

"Economic damage to the EU, for the most part. Losing access to the Black Sea Oil fields would be something of a blow to them, but hardly critical. I'm more concerned of the morale effects it would have on the Union. Their citizens aren't as motivated as I would consider ours, and enough internal pressure would convince EU leadership to seek a settlement with Schneizel. And he's liable to be generous in order to get the EU out of the war and focus upon us. They're our shield, allies or not, they're taking the brunt of Britannian aggression that should be raining down on us. Doing what we can with these operations would buy us both time, and good will from the EU. That, and our spies tell me that the EU is already working through a way to request our aid through such an operation."

 

Tohdoh nodded. "Opening talks with them after launching an offensive that aids them would put us in an enviable negotiating position for a formal alliance, an alliance whose announcement might be able to reassure the EU's people..."

 

"Especially if they see Black Knights fighting alongside their own. I've already marked the next squadron of _Ikaruga's_ for deployment to the European theater. The alliance is all but inevitable, we just push it along a little, and I estimate that it will be signed a week at most before they're done with trials."

 

"I'm not sure that we should send our airships. They're simply too versatile for us to use outside of our own battles. Would not sending a division or two of our Knightmares be better?"

 

"I would want them to be Gekkas, at the very least, rather than any Gun-rus. Which would pull the divisions away from the Indian front, or from your own army."

 

"A substantial show of Black Knight support, rather than only symbolic I take it?" At her nod, he frowned in thought. "Understandable. Alright, if you feel that a squadron of _Ikarugas_ is merited, I won't argue. And we're liable to need our Gekkas where they'll be. Now then, I've been keeping some of the newer officers busy putting together operations plans. Some of them are showing some real promise, this one in particular for an attack on Area 7..."


End file.
